Warning of the Gull
by storydany
Summary: Emma, Henry and Killian have been happily living at the new Swan apartment until Killian begins to experience repeating nightmares about his past. Their domestic bliss is interrupted by a visit from an apparition of Killian's mother who comes to warn the couple about an incoming danger...
1. Chapter 1

_Emma, Henry and Killian have been happily living in what they consider "peace" at the new Swan apartment until Killian begins to experience repeating nightmares about his past. Their domestic bliss is interrupted by a visit from Killian's mother who comes to warn the couple about an incoming danger and give her son some shocking news about Emma. With the town whipped in a frenzy over the "paranormal" entities appearing around Storybrooke, and the threat of a mysterious new enemy – it's hard for Emma and Killian to focus on their new life together as a growing family._

**Hey! So, I've written drabbles on Tumblr before but this will be my first chapter fic based on a prompt given to me by tumblr user_ kayla-ships-klaine-and-destiel _a while ago that I couldn't get to finish until now. **

**I published a version of this first chapter on tumblr before but I've made it very different here. POVS (point of views) will switch around frequently in the story and are indicated by name at the top. This chapter is just Killian's POV, however, and filled with funny fluff but things are going to get crazy for our two babies later on. Stay tuned! -Dany**

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><p><strong>Killian<strong>

Killian awoke with a gasp and sat up immediately in the dark of the room. His hair was mated against his forehead with cold sweat and his clammy hands tried to clutch at any sense of reality. He felt the bed spread beneath his fingertips and the warmth radiating from Emma beside him. The room was dark, and despite the first light of dawn spilling through the curtains, he couldn't see her but he could hear her breathing. Not a moment later, Emma began waking up and stirring beside him and Killian knew she could sense he was awake.

"Mmm…" Emma 's eyes slowly opened to see Killian sitting and breathing heavily beside her.

"Killian?"

_Dammit._

When he didn't answer immediately she tried to blink the sleepiness from her eyes and adjust her vision in the dark to get a better look at him.

"Killian?" Emma asked again and moved the bed covers down to prop herself up on an elbow. "Are you okay?"

_No._ He kept picturing the woman from his dream, crying softly into her pillow. Her eyes were bloodshot and her skin was paler then death. Her breathing was raspy and her shaking hands kept stroking the small necklace around her neck. _Mother. _There was distant screaming too – or was it seagulls?

"Yeah, love," Killian said in shaky breaths, "Just a bad dream."

"Again? Killian, this is the third time in a row."

Killian composed himself and formed a reassuring smile before he looked down at Emma, "Go back to sleep," he whispered.

She rolled her eyes and slowly sat up beside him, "No. Tell me."

"It was nothing to worry about, love. I'm sorry I woke you."

Emma stared at him, unconvinced. Nonetheless, she sighed and pulled the covers from her, exposing a long black T-shirt that was covering her bare legs.

"It's okay. It's time for me to wake Henry up for school, anyway." She hopped out of the bed and put on the grey sweat pants tossed on the floor. "Can you make breakfast today?"

"Of course." Killian brushed a hand through his matted hair as Emma left the room and let out a long sigh. He groaned as he lazily reached over to the lamp and turned it on.

_At least, for once, reality is better than my dreams._

By the time he showered, got dressed, applied his kohl and entered the kitchen of Emma's new apartment, Henry was already putting his books into his backpack. Emma appeared beside Killian and gave him a quick but loving kiss, which he returned enthusiastically. His anxieties tended to melt away each time they touched and he temporarily forgot about his distress.

"Good morning." she whispered as their lips parted.

"It certainly is, Swan," he murmured, and smiled while she slowly pulled away from him.

"Guys, seriously." Henry complained as he walked over to the refrigerator.

Emma grinned, "Okay, kid. Killian's making you breakfast. I'm going to shower and change."

"'Kay." Henry answered.

He got the milk out of the fridge and Emma left the room.

"Good morning, lad." Killian grinned as he headed over to the pantry and took out the waffle mix.

"'Morning Killian." Henry answered with a smile.

"Sailing today?"

"Ah, can't. I'm going to work at grandpa's today after school."

Killian filled a container with water, "At the station?" he asked.

"No, my _other_ grandpa," Henry sighed while pouring his milk, "Remember?"

Killian begun mixing the waffle mix into a large bowl, "I still don't understand why you keep going there." he said bitterly.

"I told you," Henry sighed again, "I want to spend time with all of my family."

"Yes, but with that crocodile?" Killian grumbled.

After quite some practice, these new cooking habits Killian learned from Emma were easy to preform with only one hand to his dispense. As were other things.

"_Rumplestilkskin_." Henry corrected him. He took a poptart from the toaster.

"Uh, uh uh!" Emma teased, snatching the poptart from Henry's hand as she walked into the room.

"_Mom_, seriously?" Henry complained when Emma took a large bite from his snack.

"You herd a poptrt frr brrkfast ehsterday." She mumbled with her mouth full and munching.

Henry rolled his eyes and sat down at the kitchen table while Killian put a plate of two waffles in front of him.

Emma sat down with a half eaten poptart and frowned when Killian put the plate of breakfast down on the table in front of her.

"Something wrong?" Killian asked upon noticing Emma's disappointment.

"A waffle."

"Yeah, love… You've always eaten the ones I've made," Killian groaned, "Oh hell, please don't tell me I used the wrong mix again. I'm a bloody idiot."

"No, it's not that," Emma sighed, "You gave me _one_."

"You always eat one."

"What? Think I'm _fat_?" Emma spun her head around to glare at him viciously.

_No! Dammit. Dammit._

Killian paled and started panicking before moving to take her plate. Henry started laughing.

"Hook!" Emma laughed, "I was _kidding_!"

"But I do want another waffle, please." she added with a playful smile.

"Dammit, Swan." Killian failed to hide his grin. He settled for an overdramatic sigh and left Emma and Henry laughing at the kitchen table while he fetched another waffle.

They all ate quickly and in comfortable silence, but Emma's eyes kept flickering to Killian as he took bites of his own breakfast. Killian could certainly tell she was still worried, but neither of them wanted to address it in front of Henry. Instead, their eyes met and they exchanged knowing looks.

"You guys are doing it again." Henry spoke up, putting his fork down.

"What?" Emma asked, turning her gaze away from Killian to look at Henry.

"The weird thing where you're both talking with 'eyes' and I don't know what's going on."

"Talking with eyes?" Killian raised a dark brow at the boy.

"Hey, kid. Isn't it time you got to _school_?" Emma put her fork down and tilted her head.

"Right…" Henry gave them both a smile and got up. "I'll see you guys after work?"

They all exchanged friendly goodbyes before Henry left the apartment with his backpack, a fist pump from Killian and a hug from Emma. It was basically part of their morning routine.

"_Work_." Emma shook her head, smiling as she took her plate to the sink. "How'd he get so old so _quick_?"

Killian silently stacked his plate on Henry's empty one.

"Killian."

"Yeah, sorry, love." He walked over to the sink with the plates balanced on his one hand.

"What's going on?" Emma gently took the plates from his hand and placed them in the sink, "You're having crazy dreams and you've _barely _eaten breakfast these past few days,"

"Well, _you_ just gobbled up two of the biggest waffles I made like some starving shark."

Emma did not look amused. Killian sighed.

"_Nothing_ you need to worry about, I promise." he smiled and leaned in to kiss her but she put a finger on his lips before he got too close.

"As long as you live here it's something I need to worry about and you're… _not _going to distract me, pirate. Tell me what's up."

_Stubborn. As always._

He sighed and looked up in exasperation. "Strange dreams, Swan, that's all." Killian looked back down at her.

"'Bout what?"

"My mum."

He took out the plates Emma put in the sink and opened the garbage drawer. She had forgotten to throw out the leftovers from the plates (as usual) but it was a welcome distraction to do it himself. Especially right now that Emma's green eyes were giving Killian such an anxious gaze he couldn't bare to look at because he knew he was the one that put it there.

"Your mom?" Emma leaned on the counter.

"Aye."

Killian nodded as he put the now-empty plates back into the sink.

"My mother had a silver necklace my father gave her," Killian started to explain, "It had a small silver seagull that hung from it."

Emma listened intently and silently.

"It's been lost for years but I keep seeing the bloody thing in my dreams." Killian sighed.

"But you're having _nightmares_, Killian," Emma said, "Is there something I should _know_? Something that happened having to do with your mom's necklace or…"

"She caught a fever and couldn't shake it. She died with the it on, that's it."

"What happened to it?" Emma frowned.

Killian inhaled deeply, "Liam had to sell it for the money."

Emma pursed her lips to the side. She took a step closer to him and hugged him. Killian was taken by surprise but he returned her embrace nonetheless.

"I'm sorry."

Killian gently pulled away from the hug and held Emma's hand with his one.

"I'm fine, Swan. It's been hundreds of years."

Emma paused, and a tiny small formed at the corners of her lips.

"Someone once told me '_wounds that are made when we're a child tend to linger_.'"

Killian chuckled softly and looked down. He remembered. He remembered when he'd told her that the day they rummaged through her old childhood things.

"Let's get to the station, okay? David will be wondering what is taking us so long." Emma murmured. Her gaze narrowed at him in the way they would when she tried to read his emotions. But the last thing Killian wanted to do was continue to worry her.

"As you wish." He gave her the best smile he could muster and gestured to the door with a small bow.


	2. Chapter 2

_Emma, Henry and Killian have been happily living in what they consider "peace" at the new Swan apartment until Killian begins to experience repeating nightmares about his past. Their domestic bliss is interrupted by a visit from Killian's mother who comes to warn the couple about an incoming danger and give her son some shocking news about Emma. With the town whipped in a frenzy over the "paranormal" entities appearing around Storybrooke, and the threat of a mysterious new enemy – it's hard for Emma and Killian to focus on their new life together as a growing family._

**Thank you for reading my last chapter! I'm very glad to see people enjoyed it and I appreciate every fav, follow or review. Alright, so this chapter is a bit longer and where the actual stuff starts. I promise the action and plot twist that you may (or may not) already see coming is going to appear very soon.**

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><p><strong>Emma<strong>

As usually, the floor around Emma was littered with documents and folders from the Sheriff's station. Emma hummed no specific toon as she scanned the new complaints sent to the Sheriff's department on the couch. _I think my bicycle was stolen. My neighbor's keeps letting his dog shit in my yard. Teenagers knocked down my mailbox with a bat. Blah, blah, blah..._

Suddenly, the apartment door swung open.

"Killian, check this out!" Henry shouted as he rushed in with his backpack bouncing over his shoulder.

Emma looked up from her papers. Killian poked his head into the room.

"Henry," Emma smiled as her son bursted through the door, "What's up, kid?"

"Lad?" Killian walked into the main room, with a large box of folders from the station in his arms.

Henry put his backpack down on the floor and quickly rummaged through it until he got out the silver necklace with the bird pendant.

"You know how Mr. Gold has stuff from everyone in Storybrooke?" Henry said as he walked over to them, looking at the necklace in his hand.

"Yea…" Emma cocked her head to the side and Killian put down the large box of folders on the coffee table.

"I think this might belong to you, Killian." Henry said, reaching out his arm to show Killian the necklace in his hand.

_Bit feminine for him, but's it's pretty._

"Cool, huh?" Henry said, gazing down at the seagull charm, "Is it yours? It says _'Jones'_ on it."

"Where'd you find this?" Killian asked, taking the necklace from Henry. His eyes were wide.

_Was it the necklace Killian had been seeing in his dreams? _

"Grandpa's shop." Henry answered.

"Killian?" Emma looked beside her at the speechless pirate with his terrified blue eyes staring down at the necklace. She could feel Killian's tension and the obvious feeling of his walls threatening to build up.

Emma inhaled deeply and looked towards Henry. The kid had to leave if she had any chance of getting Killian to open up.

"…Hey kid, don't you have some homework to do?"

Henry rolled his eyes but he learned not to argue with Emma when she gave him the "can-we-not-talk-about-this-right-now look." He grabbed his backpack from the floor and walked to his room without another word. Emma watched him leave feeling very grateful but also a bit bad. Henry would know what was going on – _just not right now_.

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><p><strong>Killian<strong>

_Impossible._ Killian wondered how it was likely this necklace would come back into his life accompanied by nightmares. _Did it mean something? Why did everything strange that happened in his life have to mean so much? _He kept staring down at the small silver seagull until Emma placed her hand below his own, giving him her warmth and comfort.

"This was my mother's necklace." Killian muttered.

"The one from your nightmares?" Emma cocked an eyebrow.

"Hey, it's okay," she said with her familiar smile of reassurance, "We'll figure this out."

"Bloody coincidence don't you think?."

"I would have thought you knew really well by now that this town is full of convenient coincidences."

Killian genuinely smiled at that. He leaned into Emma and she met him half way. They shared a short but passionate kiss before Swan went into a serious savior/sheriff investigation mode.

"May I?" she asked, staring at the necklace in his hand. He knew that look so well - the look of a woman on a mission.

Killian silently handed it over to her and she immediately began turning it over in her hand – scanning every detail. Emma stopped at the "Jones" engravement and stroked it with her thumb.

"You sure this isn't a fake?" She asked, without looking up.

"I'm sure."

"How?" Emma glanced up at him.

"Just trust me. I can feel it."

They stared at eachother for a second or two before Emma nodded. Killian had a bad feeling about this.

"Alright," she said, "I'm going to head over to Gold's then."

"What? _Why_?" Killian caught her arm with his hook as Emma started walking away. He should have known she'd be too impatient to wait once a mission had been presented to her.

"Henry found it in his shop. Maybe he can tell us how he got it."

"It's late, love," Killian pleaded, "We can do this tomorrow."

"No," Emma surprised him when she quickly freed her arm and gave him a stern look, "Look, these nightmares and worries you're having need to stop and this is the quickest way to get started."

"Swan, I don't want you to have to worry about me," Killian sighed, "Especially if it means you going to the crocodile for help."

"Well what do _you_ suggest we do?" Emma tilted her head at him with an exasperated expression on her.

Killian sighed and glanced around the room in quick thought, "We can see him tomorrow," he looked pointedly at Emma, "together."

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><p>The next morning, Emma had convinced a still reluctant Killian that a visit to Rumplestiltskin was <em>'absolutely necessary'<em> to find out more about the necklace. He knew that if he didn't agree, she'd go on her own anyway, and he was loathe to ever leave her alone to deal with the crocodile. Turns out, it was a waste of time anyway and just looking at Rumplestiltskin put Killian in a mood.

"I told you the crocodile wouldn't be of any _bloody_ help." Killian muttered as they exited Mr. Gold's shop with the jingle of the store's bells.

"At least we tried," Emma sighed, "There might be something at the station if we..."

A strange figure in the corner of Killian's eye caught his attention. On the sidewalk across them, a woman clad in a grey, ruined and ragged robe stood staring over at him. The woman had long black tresses blowing gracefully in the wind behind her and over her breast. Her hands were stiff beside her and her blue eyes were desperately sorrowful. Killian felt a cold chill down his spine.

_Mother?_

He felt a hand on his shoulder and jumped slightly at the contact. Killian looked over at Emma with wide eyes and she put her hand down quickly.

"I _said..._ are you _alright?_" Emma asked, raising her brow.

Killian looked back to the place where he saw his mother. When he turned his head, the woman was suddenly standing right in front of him – close enough to touch him. Her eyes were swimming in tears and her skin was as pale as death. Killian jumped back in shock.

"He is_ in danger_." His mother's mouth didn't open but from her presence came a warped and urgent voice that raised every hair on Killian's body.

He stumbled further backwards, staring at her in terror until he lost his balance and fell. Like waking from a nightmare, Killian suddenly saw Emma appear in front of him, blocking the figure of his mother. Her eyes betrayed fright and overwhelming worry (that gave him a pang of guilt) and her mouth was moving. She was saying something but he couldn't hear her.

" –llian!" Emma's alarmed voice suddenly started reaching him, "Hook! Killian, what happened?!"

Killian leaned to the side to see behind Emma, but his mother was gone. Emma looked over her shoulder to follow his gaze again before turning back to him. She kneeled down on the floor in front of Killian and put a hand on his leg.

"Hook, what is going on with you?"

"_My mother. _my bloody... _mother_," Killian gasped, "She was right there."

"_What?_" Emma asked incredulously and looked over her shoulder once more.

"He is in danger?"

"Danger? Who?" Emma looked back at him.

"I don't have the slightest." Killian breathed and gazed into Emma's eyes with anxiety.

Emma inhaled deeply and leaned forward to hug him gently, "Alright. It's okay, alright? Whatever this is, we'll figure this out. "

He eventually relaxed into her arms and raised his shaking hand to return her embrace.

"Bloody hell, I'm worse than some startled maiden." Killian pulled away from the hug and got up. He cursed himself for the tremble in his hands but he wanted to kick himself for the worry he saw in Emma. The worry that he put there.

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><p><strong>Emma<strong>

It wasn't so much the fact that the ghost of his dead mother was haunting Killian that scared her. What frightened Emma the most was seeing her pirate so vulnerable. She rarely saw this side of him and it truly worried her. They felt each other's pain so _naturally_ and seeing him in so much made her desperate to stop it immediately. They had been fine until now... happy and relatively peaceful with just a few easy incidents occasionally happening around town. She should have known it wouldn't last forever. God, it made her so mad but she wasn't about to put anything else on Killian's plate. He was anxious as it was without her complaints.

"Did... she say anything else?" Emma asked as she got up with him.

"She just said _'He is in danger,'_ nothing else."

"Okay. Whoever _he_ is, we need to find him." Emma bit the inside of her lip, "But we need to find out who _'he'_ is first."

"And you don't think I've gone _completely_ barking mad?" Killian raised a dark eyebrow.

Emma let out a breathe from her nose, "You're a lot of things, but I'm sure that actually insane is not one of them."

Killian smiled but Emma could see the strain in his eyes and he was clenching his mother's silver necklace in his hand. Though, Emma never believed in ghosts, coming to Storybrooke made her exceptionally more open-minded. Maybe he really saw her, or maybe it was some sort of magic. Whatever it was, she trusted Killian.

"Your mom. What was her name?"

"...Gavia." he answered before tucking the necklace inside his jacket.

_What do I say?_

"She had great taste in jewelry," Emma decided, smiling faintly.

_I just had to say something as stupid as that, didn't I?_

"My father gave the necklace to her as a gift," Killian said, "when they found out she was with child."

"With you?"

"No, my brother."

"Liam."

Killian nodded. Emma had barely told him about his brother. She knew about their past as naval officers and how Liam died in Neverland - but nothing else. She never put much thought on it, but it was starting to become so evident he knew much more about her past then she did about his. She'd have to fix that as soon as possible.

"...You know," Emma said softly, "You still haven't told me much about-"

Killian stopped abruptly, staring at something in front of them. He put an arm in front of Emma to halt her.

_So much for conversation._

"Is it her?" Emma whispered urgently, squinting her eyes (pointlessly) to see what he was looking at. She couldn't see anyone – just the empty sidewalk in front of them. She felt ridiculous and frustrated that she couldn't see what he was seeing.

"Aye... The child?" Killian asked, "Child? Wait!"

He groaned and flexed his jaw (like he so often did when he was annoyed. Emma definitely didn't think was incredibly attractive. Nope. She definitely... didn't.) Otherwise, the way he was acting, Emma at any other point in her life would definitely claim he was not alright in the head. Even if she wanted to believe he was crazy, it wasn't going to happen now. They understood each other too well and she and saw him for the good man he really was. Emma would never have opened up her heart and home to him if she didn't like what she saw.

"The child? What did she say?"

"That's it. 'The child'," Killian put a finger on his temple and closed his eyes tightly, "Bloody helpful."

"Shut up, that _is_ helpful. We know now whoever is in danger is a boy. A kid-" Emma's voice trailed off and her eyes widened.

_Henry?_

"Henry?" Killian asked, staring at Emma. It was as if he read her mind like an open book.

"No…" He shook his head, "He isn't a child."

"Yes, he is!" Emma insisted.

"No. He _isn't_. Emma, love, he's as old as I was when people where I grew up were considered old enough to leave home and get married."

"Fine, but that isn't how it works here. Henry-"

"My mum isn't…_wasn't_ from here, Emma."

Emma bit the inside of her mouth and sighed.

"Okay maybe you're right. But who else could she be talking about?" Emma inhaled deeply, "And why does she care?"

When Killian raised an eyebrow, Emma tilted her head and looked at him apologetically.

_I'm a goddamn idiot._

"No, I mean that-"

"No, Swan, you're right." Killian interrupted with narrowed eyes as he looked away in thought, "Why would she? It wouldn't make any sense. My mother doesn't have any relations with anyone here but me."

And then it hit Emma like a truck. _No.__ Anything but that._

Her palms began to sweat and her heart beat so loudly against her ribs that it felt like the vibrations reached her skull. Inaudible gasp escaped her lips as she realized she couldn't keep it to herself anymore. He had to know the truth, and soon.

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><p><strong>Fun Fact: Killian's mother's name, "Gavia" means seagull in latin according to Google translate! <strong>


	3. Chapter 3

_Emma, Henry and Killian have been happily living in what they consider "peace" at the new Swan apartment until Killian begins to experience repeating nightmares about his past. Their domestic bliss is interrupted by a visit from Killian's mother who comes to warn the couple about an incoming danger and give her son some shocking news about Emma. With the town whipped in a frenzy over the "paranormal" entities appearing around Storybrooke, and the threat of a mysterious new enemy – it's hard for Emma and Killian to focus on their new life together as a growing family._

**Thanks again for the attention my first chapter fic is getting. This is a new experience for me, but it's very fun and worth it to see people enjoy it. As promised, here's the most important climax of the story that I've been delaying because reasons. You most likely definitely saw it coming. I'm a sucker for this kinda thing in CS.**

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><p><strong>Killian<strong>

They reached Emma's apartment a few minutes later, discussing all the boys they knew in Storybrooke while Emma typed all their names onto her phone. Whatever she was doing, Killian didn't understand how she did it. He supposed the device worked as a notepad among all other things.

"I'm going to call David and tell him about… all _this_." Emma said, waving her right hand for emphasis and walking over to the house phone.

She looked a lot more worried than Killian expected her to. The way her face fell after their conversation about his mum worried him. _Is it because she thinks she insulted me?_ He thought. No, he assured her he wasn't insulted in the slightest.

No, he knew something else was wrong but he couldn't put his hand or hook on what it was. Deep in contemplation, he neglected to answer Emma but she was too focused on her intentions to notice. Killian quietly walked to their bedroom, closed the door and shrugged out of his leather jacket.

The moment he did so, his mother appeared on the other side of the bed in front of him, interrupting his musing. _Gods._

"Bloody hell, mum," Killian gasped, "If you even are Gavia and not some damn imposter."

_This is getting ridiculous._ The apparition of his mother didn't speak. She slowly and silently glided her way around the bed and headed towards the bedroom door. Killian watched in shock as she stepped right through it like it wasn't even there. He rushed over and swung the door open but she was already gone. Instinctively, he ran to find Emma.

When Killian got to the living room, Swan was still leaning on the drawer with her back facing him and speaking on the phone with her father. To Killian's alarm, his mother stood right beside her – staring at Emma's face with concern plastered on her spectral features.

"The child is in danger." Though his mother's ghost was on the other side of the room, her whispering voice echoed loudly in Killian's head.

The next thing his mother said would made him back into the wall, breathless. The shock would collide against him with the force of a car against his ribs and vibrating his whole existence with fear, disbelief and longing. The world slowed down around Killian and all he could hear was his heart beating frantically in his ear the moment she whispered the words…

"_Your son_."

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><p><strong>Emma<strong>

"Dad. I'll call you back. Let me know if you find anything." Emma turned around at the sound of Killian's back banging against the wall and saw him look like he was about to pass out. She hung up hastily, not waiting for an answer from the other line.

Emma rushed over to Killian, grabbed his two arms and helped him stand up. He looked like he had just seen a ghost. _Which….is probably what happened_. However, this time it was different. Killian was _so_ much in shock that he could hardly keep his balance and he kept looking at Emma like _she_ was the ghost. Emma slowly helped him walk over to the couch, where she gently made him sit. Never had she seen a living man so pale in her life.

"Killian?!" Emma shook him slightly, but he responded with the faintest shake of his head.

At this point, she took off the thin red sweater she was wearing and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Killian slowly looked down at her small tank-top blouse while she dabbed her clothing on his temple. Well… if staring at her breasts made him feel better – she wasn't going to argue. _Men_. However, she wasn't exactly sure if _that _was what he was looking at. But she couldn't imagine why he'd be interesting in her fashion sense all of a sudden.

"Killian," Emma said as softly as she could, "Tell me what happened."

He was in shock so Emma resisted yelling her frustration and fear at his refusal to respond. She didn't push Killian any further and inside bite the inside of her mouth to prevent the questions from spilling out..

Emma put her sweater down beside her with a sigh and slowly got up from the coffee table she was sitting on in front of him. _Killian probably just needs some water and a bit more time to calm down. _She started to regret leaving him alone when anything could have happened after all that already did. He would have stayed with her.

She quickly filled a glass of water from the kitchen and walked back to the couch where Killian began to stand up. Emma saw and rushed over, careful not to spill the water.

"You okay?" Emma tentatively made sure he could stand.

"Yes," he breathed, "I'm sorry."

"Here, drink this." Emma handed Killian the cup of water but he didn't drink it. Instead, he put it down on the coffee table beside Emma's sweater and turned to look at her with gazing eyes. She couldn't exactly understand his expression. _Worry?_ _No, more like_ wonder.

Killian closed the little space they already had between each other even further. She thought he was walking in for a kiss, but his eyes didn't flicker down to her lips like they usually did. Instead, they scanned her body and stopped at her stomach. Emma watched as he slowly rested his hand there. And then… she understood. _How? _ Emma lifted her head to give Killian a look of worry and anticipation. His eyes met hers. Every inch of his face made him look at if he had just found out she hung the stars in the sky and brought summer rain on a drought.

"You're with child." Killian whispered. It wasn't a question or observation…It was a statement that came from him softly, like a desperate prayer.

Emma was still completely taken aback. _How the hell did he know already?_ She had only just found out yesterday, herself. Her mind swirled with questions and dialogue. _Was he okay with this? No, how could he be? Didn't you see him almost faint? Maybe it was from happiness? He doesn't look happy. What if he leaves me alone? What if it's Neal all over again and my child is fatherless? He wouldn't do that. Would he? _They stared at each other silently before Emma opened her mouth to say something… but nothing came out.

"Emma." He whispered in the same praying tone of voice. This time, however, he was piercing her with his gaze – overflowing with what could either be hope or worry. _Or both._

She was panicking.

"I-" Emma couldn't concentrate on forming words. What was she going to tell him? They had never talked about having children and Emma assumed he didn't care much for the idea. They had only been together for a few months and living together for even less. So, Emma never brought it up even though she was already having dreams about a beautiful little pirate prince or princess in her arms with it's father's stunning blue eyes and the dark, unkempt hair that she had always loved. _Shut up, Emma. Shut up._

"You're carrying…my _son_?"

Emma noticed Killian's eyes started to shine with the threat of tears when he spoke. She couldn't help it when her tightly pursed lips began to curl into a hopeful smile. Emma felt afraid for his reaction but she nonetheless nodded and mentally cursed herself when she felt a traitorous tear escape from her eye. _Dammit._

The silence between them was only a few seconds but it felt like an eternity in Emma's mind. Her eyes scanned his fervently, trying to read his reaction. _What if Henry was the only kid he was okay with taking care of? What if he didn't want to be a father? _She felt both angry and worried at that prospect.

* * *

><p><strong>Killian<strong>

Killian forgot anything in the world existed except the woman in front of him – who suddenly looked more beautiful then he had ever seen her before. She was his own source of light – some sort of ethereal woman granting him with all the happiness and love he would ever want or need. And just when he thought heaven couldn't be any sweeter, the golden-haired goddess before him suddenly offered him this indescribable honor… the knowledge that the most valuable product his existence came from the love between him and his most beloved Emma Swan; that he had a chance to be a_ father_ to this pure creation. Killian could never have asked for anything more perfect or that brought more joy into his life. _How do I tell her this? She looks terrified. Please, don't be terrified._

Without second thought, Killian found himself closing every inch of space between him and Emma to press his lips roughly against hers. Her shock had hardly lasted a moment before she returned his enthusiasm and they were caught in an urgent and passionate kiss. The only thing that pulled them back into reality was unfortunate lack of breathe.

"So…it's okay?" Emma breathed.

_The nerve of this woman._

At that moment, Killian lifted Emma up with one hand under her arms and the other under her legs. She let out a small shriek of surprise the moment he lifted her and began spinning around. They collapsed onto the couch beside with Emma on his lap, laughing. He never smiled so widely in his whole life as he stared at her with pure reverence and worship.

The world was spinning. But it wasn't just from the _actual _spinning.

"I'm going to be a father?" Killian gasped.

"Guess so." Emma breathed, returning a dazzling smile.

"In the end you were the one predicted it."

"Hmm?"

"You said there is a little pirate in me," She grinned, "And now there is." Emma jested but her eyes were overwhelmed with honest adoration.

Killian let out what sounded like a laugh and cry as he pulled her into him on the couch and they began kissing once more. They never even noticed that the door had opened.

* * *

><p><strong>Henry<strong>

"Hey, I'm sorry I'm late I went to grandpa Dav-" Henry's voice halted abruptly. _Oh. Err._

Emma reluctantly parted her lips from Killian's, giving him a gaze of longing before turning her head towards the doorway. Henry stood there in shock and embarrassment with his backpack held in his hand.

"Uhh…" Henry started to say.

"Henry." Emma said breathlessly, smiling over at him.

"Hello, lad." Killian's voice croaked with emotion.

"I'm interrupting something…" Henry started to quickly walk towards the entrance to the hallway to where his room was.

"Hey, kid!" Emma called after him, "How do you feel about being a big brother?"

_Brother? _

"What?" Henry's eyes widened and be dropped his backpack on the floor. It thumped loudly with the weight of his schoolbooks.

_Oh my God, mom is pregnant. Brother?!_

"What?!" Henry exclaimed and ran over to Emma and Killian on the couch, gaping. He let out a laugh and Emma joined in, followed by Killian. "Mom, you're pregnant?"

"Yea, Henry. Looks like you're going to have a half-brother." Emma smiled widely at her oldest son.

The three of them laughed.

"What the hell." Henry said, grinning from ear to ear.

Emma punched Killian lightly.

"Look at the words you teach Henry! If you teach your adoptive son this, what kind of influence will you be on another boy?" She scolded him with a seriousness only dulled by the grin on her face. Killian chuckled.

"How do you know it's a boy?" Henry said excitedly while his eyes flickered down to his mother's still flat stomach. _I guess it takes a while for her to start showing. I wonder if she'll look the same way she did when I was about to be born. I wonder how she looked then._

* * *

><p><strong>Killian<strong>

Killian's breathe halted.

Suddenly, they were pulled back into reality. Emma and Killian's eyes quickly met.

_Bloody hell._

The only reason Killian knew that Emma was pregnant with his son was because his mother's ghost warned him that the child was in danger. He knew Emma deduced that much by the way she looked at him.

"What? What's going on?" Henry cut through.

After Killian explained the entire situation to Henry, only stopped occasionally to let Emma reassure her stressed son, they all sat in silence around the coffee table. Emma and Killian were no longer wrapped together on the couch but they sat as close as they could to each other and held hands tightly. It was meant to comfort one another but Killian knew he was holding onto her for his own confidence and Emma was the same. Henry leaned forward on a chair next to the couch with pursed lisp and a thoughtful expression on his face.

"I'm not going to let anyone hurt the child," Killian said, putting his hook on Emma's leg, "Or you or _anyone_ else."

Emma gave him a small and anxious smile while Henry perked himself up on his seat.

"So your mom's_ ghost_ is warning us. Can we ask her who wants to hurt my little brother?" Henry looked over at Killian who pursed his lips.

'I don't have control of when she comes or what she says."

The house phone began ringing on the drawer near the door. Henry quickly got up and ran to answer it while Emma shifted herself on the couch to face Killian beside her.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. I just found out two days ago and I didn't know how to tell you-"

"It's okay , love," Killian gently pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, "I know I haven't exactly given you the chance with my nocturnal drama and for that I apologize."

Emma opened her mouth to respond but stopped when Henry ran back towards them with the phone in his hand.

"It's grandpa," Henry said breathlessly," David. He says there have been other ghosts popping up in Storybrooke."

_Bloody. Hell._

"What?" Emma exclaimed in disbelief and took the phone from Henry, putting it against her ear, "Dad?"

_Don't leave me out of it, Swan._

Killian nudged Emma pointedly and she quickly pressed the speaker button.

"-there are ghosts people are recognizing. The ghost…or whatever they are are occasionally showing themselves around town every few minutes. You need to get to the station." David said through the telephone speaker.

"We'll be there." Emma hung up while getting up from the couch. Killian stood with her but took hold of her arm with his hand.

Was she going to tell her parents about the baby? He suddenly began wondering how they'd react… he wasn't sure they'd ever been very thrilled about his relationship with Emma. _I wouldn't be surprised to get a knocker from Prince Charming._

"What are you going to tell them?"

"About the baby? I don't know. Nothing. Not yet, anyway." Emma sighed, "There is too much going on."

Killian's heart clenched and he looked downed. He wished he could take away all the drama and stress from Emma's life. He knew she was worried about raising a family in Storybrooke. He _knew_ that she still thought about her peaceful life in New York even if she never mentioned it again. He knew that when…if…their child was born he would grow up with the powerful Savior as a mother and a pirate as a father – always dealing with the dangers that come along with that.

"I'll get the book!" Henry said, starting to jog towards his room, "There might be something there that we-"

"Henry!" Emma called after him and he looked at her impatiently, "You can't come. It's really late and you have _school _tomorrow."

"I just found out there are dead people walking around Storybrooke and that I'm going to be a brother but said brother is in danger and it might have to do with spooks. I'm not staying!" Henry babbled.

"Then come along, lad." Killian said while heading towards the door.

"No," Emma retorted, "What makes you think he's coming? It's dangerous and _I'm_ not letting him!"

"Swan," Killian got her jacket from the coat hanger and walked towards her, "He's your son and that is why I know for a fact he isn't going to listen to us."

Henry grinned and Emma sighed.

"Fine. Grab your jacket, kid." She said in a voice of resignation and took her coat from Killian.

"Start the vehicle," Killian said, jogging towards their bedroom, "I'm going to grab my coat from the room."

While Henry and Emma walked out the apartment, Killian quickly snatched his black leather jacket from the bed where he left it.

His mother's necklace fell out and he stared at it for a second before picked it up.

"Thank you." He whispered and tucked the necklace in his pocket before running out the door.

* * *

><p><strong>Emma<strong>

When the three of them reached the station, Emma sighed at the sight of the people protesting loudly outside the building.

_Great. _

Unsurprisingly, among them was Grumpy, Archie, Granny, and many other citizens you'd typically find demanding answers to all new arising dangers in Storybrooke.

It was dark outside, but the moon and stars were bright and so were the lamplights. With that light, she could make out around fifteen people crowded in front of the station. Emma parked the yellow bug a few meters away to avoid the mob and Killian was the first out of the car. He quickly opened the door for Emma.

"Are you alright?"

"Killian," Emma rolled her eyes, "Please don't start with that worried dad crap. I can take care of myself."

"I know you can. I've always known you can, Swan," Killian said softly, "But you don't have to go through this alone."

Emma looked up at Kilian's gaze of genuine care and love while her heart swelled with emotion. It was true she didn't have to worry about being left alone with this second pregnancy. This time she had Henry and her parents. This time she had the father of her child, Killian. All of them were going to be there beside her and willing to protect and care for her son. The son of a princess and a pirate. _There is probably a joke there somewhere._

Killian smiled at her touched expression.

"Guys, come on!" Henry called as he ran over to the station, clutching the storybook.

Emma and Killian rushed over behind Henry and were met with the bitter and worried glares of the townsfolk outside the station.

"What's going on?" Grumpy demanded.

"I saw the ghost of my dead nanny!" Shouted someone from the back of the crowd.

"Are they evil?" Are we in danger?" Granny asked.

The entire crowd began overlapping their noisy concerns towards Emma, Killian and Henry.

"It's okay, just…" Henry's voice was lost in the loudness of the mob.

"Stop!" Emma screamed, silencing everyone around her.

She inhaled deeply, "As far as we know they are NOT dangerous! One of them actually warned us-"

"Warned you? About what?" interrupted Grumpy.

Emma resisted the urge to punch someone and the crowd once against began speaking loudly over each other.

"_Bloody hell_," Killiam muttered, "SHUT IT!"

The crowd's voices slowly died down to mutters. Some of them scoffed.

_Thank you, Killian._

"We are figuring it out," Emma announced, ushering Henry closer to the door, "You'll find out as soon as we know what is happening. _Don't worry_. okay? Get home and stay there. It's the safest place you can be right now. We'll figure this out. When have we ever failed to defeat the bad guys, hey?"

The throng looked amongst each other, muttering and murmuring. Some of them began to nod and the swell of people slowly dissipated. Emma, Killian and Henry waited until the crowd was completely dispersed. In the silence that came, they could hear cicadas in the dark and crickets chirping in the night. It was, overall, a very peaceful looking town. You wouldn't have expected that there was fight against magical evil going on in its streets on almost a day-to-day basis; complete with swords, pirates, sorceresses and regals. _Story of my life._

The station door opened.

"Hurry," David beckoned them inside. His eyes were tried and his brow looked strained with worry.

Warily, Emma followed Henry into the station while mentally comforting herself that Killian was still close behind her.


	4. Chapter 4

_Emma, Henry and Killian have been happily living in what they consider "peace" at the new Swan apartment until Killian begins to experience repeating nightmares about his past. Their domestic bliss is interrupted by a visit from Killian's mother who comes to warn the couple about an incoming danger and give her son some shocking news about Emma. With the town whipped in a frenzy over the "paranormal" entities appearing around Storybrooke, and the threat of a mysterious new enemy – it's hard for Emma and Killian to focus on their new life together as a growing family._

**_I'm really, really sorry this chapter is a short one. _(I'll update the next one a little quicker which is a big one.) As you can see, you will encounter some mythology not introduced in OUAT before. This will continue to be a big part of the fic.**

**Also, someone asked how many chapters I think I might write... for now, I'm not sure. I DO have a plan for the story and I know where it's going but I don't know enough to tell you exactly how many chapters I'll write. Though I'll you now, it might be 10 or more, idk. The story is going to be pretty angsty in the middle but spoiler alert: there will be a happy ending. (Mostly because I need it just as much as you.)**

**Important: NO POV's IN THIS CHAPTER**

* * *

><p>"Mate, what's going on?" Killian asked when David closed the door behind them.<p>

There were hushed and anxious voices getting louder as they walked to the cell room. Emma put a hand on Henry's shoulder as they followed behind David.

"You'll find out." he said, opening the door for them.

Inside the cell room, Snow was cradling Neal in her arms and frowning at Blue who was standing stiffly with her hands clasped in front of her navy dress: A look of apprehension on her face. Besides her were two other fairies from the enchanted forest in their normal human form and clad in loose dresses of grey. Neal Nolan looked larger everyday. Emma's baby brother did not look too much like a baby anymore. His eyes were wide, attentive and understanding and he clutched his mother's shirt with a strong fist.

"How do we stop it?" Snow murmured to Blue before turning her head to David, Henry, Emma and as they walked in.

Neal had already been eyeing his big sister as she walked in.

"Stop what?" Emma asked with narrowed eyes. Her gaze switched between her mother and Blue.

"The ghosts?" Killian asked as he took a place besides Emma.

"The banshee." Blue corrected.

"Banshee?" Emma asked, "Those are real _too_?"

When everyone looked over at Emma with slightly amused and slightly incredulous expressions she pursed her lips.

"…Right," she sighed, "Go on."

"The Banshee is a poltergeist that takes the form of a female. She lets out a scream the moment someone is about to die. They are rare in our world because it is said they reside originally in another dimension. Dimensions are not realms. they are universes separate from our own and near-impossible to cross."Blue paused and looked at Killian, "Some banshees are known to warn others about incoming deaths. Those use the form of a deceased woman that has significance to the person they are trying to warn."

Emma inhaled deeply and exhaled a shaky breath. Killian immediately wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close.

"Emma?" Snow White took a few steps closer to her daughter, "Are you okay?"

In Snow's arms, Neal began to cry. She quickly, but gently, handed him over to David.

"Nothing is going to hurt him," Killian whispered to Emma, "I promise."

"What's going on?" David asked, tilting his head towards the couple as he accommodated Neal in his arms.

_"Oh,"_ Blue's eye widened and she clasped her hands together, "You're expecting," she said calmly, staring at Emma.

"Expecting?" Snow White exclaimed, "Emma are you _pregnant_?"

Emma let out a defeated sigh and nodded. Everyone except Killian, Henry, Blue and little Neal began to stare at Emma with shocked expressions. Killian kept his gaze on the woman in his arms while Henry watched them nervously. Blue was smiling and Neal had stopped crying at the sound of his mother's shocked voice.

"Emma!" Snow White breathed and rushed forward to embrace her daughter. Killian took a step back to give them space.

"Emma, are you sure?" David asked.

"Our son is in danger," Killian said, silencing the room, "The banshee was warning us."

David looked at Killian as if the pirate had sprouted a new head. Snow pulled away from Emma to look into her eyes.

"It's a boy?" Snow White whispered, tears collecting in her eyes.

Emma nodded slowly as Snow rubbed her arms.

"Emma, this is _wonderful_ news."

"You're the father." David stated, looking over at Killian with a wary expression.

"Is that really such a surprise, mate?" Killian narrowed his eyes, "What we need to focus on is actually _protecting my son_ not worrying about where he came from."

"He's right." Blue spoke up.

"_Nothing_ is going to happen to my second grandson." Snow White smiled, holding both of Emma's hands against her chest.

"Exactly. No one hurts our family." David nodded to Killian and smiled over at Emma. Neal fussed in his father's arms.

"...Thank you, guys." Emma breathed, offering a smile to both of them in return.

She slowly detached her hands from her mother's and Henry took a step forward from beside Emma.

"Who's after my brother?"

"I don't know, Henry," Blue said, looking at the other fairies, "None of us do."

"There has to be _some _idea." Snow turned around to look at Blue.

"We are working on it. We _will _find out." One of the fairies behind Blue said.

"How long is that going to take?" Killian hissed.

"_Killian_." Emma narrowed her eyes.

"I'm sorry but I'm not gambling the life of our son on the whims of a few former fairies. No offense, ladies."

"We aren't." David said, "Hook, is there anything else the banshee told you?"

"Nothing except the child is in danger."

"Okay, but that doesn't mean he's going to die, is it?" Emma interrupted, holding her breath.

"_No!_" Almost the whole room said in unison.

"Not necessarily," Blue answered, "But if the banshee is here, it would mean the possibility is incredibly high. We still need to figure out how it got here… Banshees don't exist in this realm and they are scarce in the Enchanted Forest but I did not sense the power of anyone opening a portal here in Storybrooke."

"What about the ghosts?" Emma questioned.

"They are just illusions. Sometimes when the presence of a Banshee is strong enough, the illusions of spirits of the dead _occasionally_ can be seen. Besides that, their illusions, and their screams, Banshees don't make themselves known in any other way."

Emma and Killian looked at each other.

"They aren't real?" Henry tilted his head.

"No. They aren't. They are only images."

"Can they speak? Or do anything?"

"All they do is appear and disappear. They do not speak or act."

Emma hugged herself with one arm and rubbed her temple with her free hand. The overwhelming stress she was in was incredibly evident to everyone in the room. After everything she had been through, Emma had hardly ever looked as overwhelmed as she did now. Noticing this, Henry gently embraced his mother.

"Everything will be fine, love." Killian said as Emma returned Henry's hug.

She looked over at Killian with a pursed smile.

"Killian is right, Emma," Snow White gave Killian a soft smile before looking at Emma, "We won't let anything happen to him."

_"Ever."_ David added.

"We will do what it takes to protect this child, Emma," Blue walked over, "My sisters and I will begin working on a few enchantments that should help uncover who our foe is."

"Thank you." Emma gave them a single nod and the fairies returned it before beginning to head out of the room.

"Oh- and Emma…"

Emma looked back to Blue.

"…Congratulations." the fairy smiled.

Emma returned the smile and nodded.

When the fairies left, Snow White walked back to her husband and gently took back Neal,

"What are you going to name him?" Snow White asked with a small smile, bouncing Neal in her arms and looking at Emma.

Emma opened her mouth and shook her head once. Killian looked over at Snow White with a thoughtful gaze while David smiled at them.

"I don't… I don't really know." Emma sighed.

"It's _fine_." Snow White insisted with a soft voice, "You have _so_ much time to decide."

"It's very late. You need to go home and rest," David said, "_All_ of you. Henry I'll take you to Regina and Robin's. Emma and Hook, both of you should return to your apartment and we will get the dwarves to keep watch on you overnight."

"What?" Killian cocked an eyebrow.

"Snow and I would go but we can't leave Neal or bring him because…"

"-Because it's dangerous," Emma finished, "I understand, Dad. Don't worry."

David nodded.

"I can protect Emma just fine on my own," Killian interrupted, "We don't need those dwarves blundering about in our- in _her_ home."

"_Our _home," Emma gave Killian a pursed smile, "And Killian, it's fine."

"Listen Killian," David said, taking a step closer to the pirate and grabbing his attention, "If you're going to be a father, you're going quickly figure out that you would do anything… _Anything_ to protect your child. If there is even the _slightest_ chance that you could do something for the safety of your baby you will do it. Even if you don't like it."

The pirate and the prince stared at each other in silence for a second before Killian nodded.

"I'll call Grumpy." Snow said, cutting through the silence and taking out her phone.

"Go on home," David looked between Emma and Killian, "We'll send the dwarves there in a moment."

Killian and Emma stared at each other as Killian walked over to her, giving her a small reassuring smile. Emma broke the gaze to look over at Henry beside her.

"You'll be okay with Regina, kid?"

"Of course mom," Henry smiled, "Be safe."

"_You too_." Emma smiled widely and gave him a tight hug, fearing to let go of her other son too.

"I love you, kid" she murmured.

"I love you too, mom." Henry gently pulled away from the hug and smiled up at Emma, "And the little bro."

Killian put his hand on Henry's shoulder, "I'll keep your mom and brother safe, I promise."

"I know. Like you always do." said Henry, sharing smiles with his second might-as-well-be-step-father (Robin being his other.)

"Aye," Killian answered.

"Emma, be careful, okay?" David looked between Emma and Killian, "_Both_ of you."

"We will." Emma answered, solemnly nodding.

"The dwarves agreed to help keep watch at your house," Snow said as she put away her phone.

She smiled at her daughter.

"Everything will be fine, Emma. I promise."

"I know." Emma lied. Her instincts told her otherwise.


	5. Chapter 5

_Emma, Henry and Killian have been happily living in what they consider "peace" at the new Swan apartment until Killian begins to experience repeating nightmares about his past. Their domestic bliss is interrupted by a visit from Killian's mother who comes to warn the couple about an incoming danger and give her son some shocking news about Emma. With the town whipped in a frenzy over the "paranormal" entities appearing around Storybrooke, and the threat of a mysterious new enemy – it's hard for Emma and Killian to focus on their new life together as a growing family._

**Ah, yes. This is going to be _all over the place_ emotionally, sorry. From fluff, to humor to angst. I just have a lot of feelings.**

**Every single follow, fav and review means the world to me, thank you so much. **

* * *

><p><strong>Emma<strong>

She had a dream of a little boy in her arms with disheveled black hair and eyes bluer than the sea. Their son. _Our son. _The fact they had both accepted they were indeed, going to be have a baby, was still so surreal that for a moment Emma was afraid that was all part of the dream. But it wasn't. She was going to be a mother to another son. And this boy, she vowed, would grow up with a mother and father always knowing that without a doubt he was loved. No one was going to take this baby away, if she had to die or kill to keep him safe.

"Killian?" Emma asked through a large yawn. She woke up the next morning to a cold bed and lack of pirate. She ran a hand through the tangled mess of hair on her head, her eyes still closed.

"Here, love." He answered.

Emma blinked some of the sleep from her eyes and turned her head towards the sound of his voice. Killian was sitting at the foot of their bed and smiling lovingly at her, but his eyes betrayed his evident worry and lack of sleep. The computer on his lap did nothing to soothe Emma's growing concern.

_What the hell is he up to? Did he even sleep?_

"What are you doing?" She asked, looking at the open computer.

"Henry taught me how to use this computing device for _searches_..."

She crawled over to his side to see what he was looking at on the laptop. To her surprise (and amusement), pictures and articles of family and pregnancy greeted her on the screen. There was a cliché stock photo of a nude pregnant women looking down at the large bulge on her stomach. A few paragraphs below it was a photo of another woman holding a newborn baby while a man kissed the top of the child's head.

"_Really_?"

"I stayed up to watch over you. So I thought I should also pass the time by educating myself a… bit."

Emma tilted her head at Killian and smiled. Her expression was one of adoration and empathy for the pirate who was so invested and devoted to her. To them. To their new family.

"So, lass, you're going to look like that?" Killian grinned, pointing at the photo of the woman with the large pregnant stomach on the screen.

Emma playfully backhanded his shoulder.

"And you're going to be more beautiful than ever." He added, leaning back to meet her in a kiss.

Emma let out a breathy laugh once their lips parted. "Did you sleep at all?"

"An hour or two."

She narrowed her eyes, silently scolding him. He grinned at her and put laptop down besides him. He got up to turn on the lights.

"Are you having anymore of those dreams? Did you see your mom at all since she..._told_ you."

"She's not my mother. She's a banshee creature determined at pretending to be my mother. Though not so much lately," said Killian as he sat back down on the bed beside Emma.

"Does that mean you haven't seen her?"

"No, not since yesterday."

"What about your dreams?"

"Aye. I'm still having dreams about my mum, but they're just glimpses. Nightmare's have gone."

"That's good," Emma smiled, "Mm, did Blue say the banshee had something to do with your dreams?"

Killian's response was interrupted by a loud bang coming from the kitchen accompanied by yelling. Emma sighed.

_I forgot about the dwarves._

"I should get dressed and check on the seven dwarves," she sighed and rubbed the remaining sleep form her eyes, "Actually…" she yawned, "You do it. You're already dressed."

"Oh, wait," Killian reached into a pocket in his black jeans, "I have something for you."

_How many times do I have to tell him I don't need random gifts all the time?_

"_Killian,_ I told you tha-" Emma began to complain.

"Let me, Swan," He interrupted as he pulled out something from his pocket, "Please?"

Emma sighed and relaxed in her seat to which Killian smiled victoriously. He opened his hand to reveal the silver seagull necklace.

"Your mother's necklace?"

"My father gave it to her when they found out she was with Liam. I wanted you to have it as a token for this momentous occasion."

"Killian…" Emma said softly, her voice wavering with emotion. She looked at the necklace in his hand with an expression of disbelief and gratitude.

Killian shifted awkwardly, looking down at the necklace and back at Emma while biting the inside of his mouth.

"What?" Emma asked, smiling and raising an eyebrow slightly.

"I would ask for the honor of putting the necklace on you, but…" He held up his hook arm, where his non-existent hand made Emma realize the current dilemma.

Ever since she began living with Killian, Emma realized he was more self-conscious about his one hand then he had let on. She saw that small tasks where his hook did not come in handy made him very distressed no matter how hard he tried to hide it from her. Admittedly, she was surprised at first. Killian had always proven, even _bragged_, he could accomplish anything with his hook until she quickly learned that was not always the case. Emma never forgot Killian had one hand, but she never acknowledged it as more then a mere _fact, _like his hair being black and the small scar under his eye.

She never thought of him or treated him like a disabled and didn't expect she ever would. She did not pity Killian, she admired him as someone who demonstrated a strength and adaptation most people would never know. He was not less because he had one hand. If anything, he was _more_. The way Killian's face fell the moment he realized he couldn't put the necklace on her was no different to Emma then if he was Henry was struggling with his math homework. Seeing the struggle amused Emma because it was something small trying to be done, and yet something she knew she would struggle with much more. It made her proud.

"Ah, don't think you're getting off helping me that easily," Emma smiled as she took the necklace and turned her back to Killian, "Hold my hair up, please."

"It would be my honor," Killian responded. She could hear the smile in his voice and feel the electric tingle of her skin where his hand brushed over as he collected her hair.

Emma inhaled deeply to withhold the bubbling emotions bursting from within her chest as she began putting the necklace around her neck. Killian's warm breathe touched her bare back as she tried to hook the necklace in place, speeding her heart, and making it harder to concentrate on attaching the necklace's little hook to the little circle.

"There," Emma whispered as she put her arms down upon securing the necklace around her neck. Killian gently put her hair down and brushed some of it from her chest as she turned back around.

"Killian. This is _really_ special," Emma looked up at him, "Thank you."

"No need to thank me, love." Killian looked down at the necklace around her neck, "...When I began to sail and would get lost in the middle of nowhere... I learned to follow the path that sea birds fly, especially seagulls, because it would always lead me to land and back home. I was lost for so long after Liam and Milah's death, years at sea. No seagull could lead me away from that."

Killian leaned closer and took the small seagull around Emma's neck into his fingers. She stared at him, speechless. He chuckled.

"But you... you didn't simply lead me home. You _made_ me a _new_ home. So though you may not be the seagull I would have expected, you're something more then that. So much more beautiful and rare. You're a Swan," his voice quieted to a murmur, "My Swan."

Emma put her hand on top of Killian's and felt the warmth of his hand against her collarbone.

"Then you're the seagull," Emma whispered, "An annoyance to many, but clever, talented and intelligent upon better inspection."

Emma smiled as Killian started to chuckle. She joined in, looking down at their hands now intertwined at their sides.

"How do _you_ know so much about birds?" Killian asked, grinning at her.

"I _am_ my mother's daughter."

"That you are, princess."

Emma leaned in and Killian met her in the middle. They shared a soft kiss, warm and flowing with love in the moment.

"Hey, where do you keep the eggs?!" Grumpy yelled from the other side of their door, interrupting.

_Ugh._

Emma sighed as their lips parted. She started to regret inviting the dwarves in the day before.

_I forgot about that dwarves. Again._

"Get dressed, love, I'll deal with this." Killian whispered with a grin.

"Aye, _Captain_," Emma smiled and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

Once Killian left, the bubbling emotions of love she had in her chest seemed to turn into _actual _bubbling. _Nausea._ She gagged and quickly put a hand to her mouth as she ran to the bathroom located in their bedroom.

* * *

><p><strong>Killian<strong>

"Just get the hell out already!" Killian shouted as he ushered the dwarves to the door. Most of them still had food in their mouths and some had half-eaten pop tarts, apples and bananas in their hands

"We are dwarves! Are we aren't going to tolerate this treatment from the likes of you, _pirate_." Grumpy spat the last word in distaste and cereal crumbs fell from his mouth onto the floor.

"At least I have the decency to not make a mess in my host's house!"

"Some _host _you are!" Grumpy retorted.

Sneezy sneezed and wiped his noise.

"He's right. We made a mess." he admitted, looking over at Grumpy.

"Can you let us clean up at least?" Happy asked, smiling at Killian.

The pirate's nostril flared and he glared at Happy for a second before inhaling deeply and turning his attention to Grumpy.

_Gods, help me._

"You and your crew of…of…" Killian waved his wrist around in a circle, trying to think of a witty insult and drawing a blank, " _dwarves_…can finish breaking fast as long as I come back from checking on Emma and see the kitchen completely _spotless. Understood_?"

"You're not OUR Captain, pirate," Grumpy grumbled, "We'll do it for _Emma_, not _you_."

"Very well. Just do it." Killian sighed and widened his gaze in exasperation for a second before sauntering out of the room.

He entered his and Emma's room to find the bathroom door closed and with the lights on but no sound of the shower running. He immediately found it strange how worried that made him. She was always in the shower at this time and wasn't really someone to break her routines.

"You alright in there, love?" Killian asked, almost leaning his ear to the door.

There was some heavy breathing but no vocal response so he knocked.

"Emma? Swan, are you alright in there?"

"F-fine! I'm fi-" She was interrupted by some gargled coughing and Killian's heart started pounding as he knocked again.

_Oh. No, no, no._

"Swan! Open up!"

_Come on!_

He could hear her getting sick into the toilet. Killian cursed under his breathe and reached for the doorknob, expecting it to be locked. It wasn't. _I'm an idiot._ He swung the door open to find Emma kneeling in front of the toilet and heaving.

"Emma!" Killian rushed to her side and gently pushed some of her hair behind Emma's ear before rubbing her back.

"Get out," Emma gasped, "You don't need to see this."

She gulped but it didn't stop her from heaving into the toilet once more. It was less this time, and Emma quickly wiped her mouth with her hand before reaching for some toilet paper.

"Are you okay?" Killian asked, stared at her frightfully.

"Ugh, gross…" Emma grumbled, wiping the vomit from her hand with a few sheets of toilet paper, "I'm okay."

"Is this because of the baby?"

"Pregnancy stuff, yeah," Emma answered breathlessly.

Killian flushed the toilet and slowly helped her up.

"I'm fine, Killian. This is normal. I'm just sorry you had to see it."

"Swan, you'd be surprised the amount of upchucking one sees in the company of drunk pirates on the sea." He rolled his eyes.

Emma gave him a weak smile and looking down at her stomach. She slowly put her hand on it. Killian looked at her quizzically before resting his hand on hers.

"Are you okay? The baby?"

"Yeah," Emma murmured, "It's just…"

She brushed Killian's hand away and pulled her T-shirt up just below her breasts. She looked in the mirror in front of them and posed herself to stare at her profile. Killian was mesmerized when he noticed the obvious bulge on her stomach.

"This can't be right." Emma whispered, rubbing her stomach and narrowing her eyes at her relfection.

"W-what do you mean? Isn't it suppose to…"

"Be this big?" Emma looked over to Killian, "No."

"I don't understand."

"I was barely showing last night. This is like… three times the size it was."

"There's something wrong with the baby?" Killian's voice wavered.

"I don't know." Emma breathed shakily as she put her shirt back down. Killian's heart was pounding and he was frozen in his place, staring at her stomach.

"Killian. Killian," Emma said, shaking one of his shoulders, "I'm going to wash up quickly and change. Get the dwarves out. Call my parents and Regina and tell them to come here."

"I-"

"Go." Emma insisted, ushering him out the door.

* * *

><p><strong>Emma<strong>

"You're right," Regina said, putting a hand over Emma's stomach against her blouse, "The baby is definitely growing quicker than humanly _normal_ and I can feel…"

"What?" Snow asked desperately, putting a hand on Emma's shoulder and staring at Regina.

"You're one month in, right?" Regina looked up at Emma, and put her hand down.

"Yeah." She answered quickly.

"There's a strange magic surrounding your child. I think it's what is making him grow faster. It's not light magic."

_No. No, not my son._

"What? David and Snow exclaimed in unison. Emma held her breath as her heart began to pound in her chest frantically. _Not him._ _Please not him._ Behind Regina, she could see Killian looking pale. He so was scared too.

"That's _not_ possible." Snow stammered, "Emma has _light_ magic. How- how could anything dark grow inside her?"

"I'm not even sure if it's dark magic." Regina said, "I don't think it's the baby. It's like… a-a curse or a…. spell. A hex. I don't know. I've never seen something like this before."

_Not dark magic? Not light magic? Than what?! _Emma resisted the urge to yell at Regina. It wasn't Regina's fault and knew she was being unreasonable but she couldn't be rational now. Not when her unborn child was in danger and _no one_ knew anything useful.

"Someone did this to Emma? To our son?" Killian finally said, walking to Regina's side and staring at Emma's stomach.

"Wouldn't Emma's magic make it impossible for non-light magic to touch her? Zelena and Cora never could." David said, crossing his arms and inhaling deeply.

"I've never seen this magic before." Regina shook her head, "It _should_ be impossible…"

"What about the crocodile? Maybe he knows something. May_ he_ did this."

"No he uses dark magic and I've never known him to be capable of something as powerful as this." Regina explained.

"Stop." Emma said softly, looking at no one. They all stared at her.

_I can't. I can't hear this right now._

"I'm sorry. I'm just- I just I need air." She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes as she walked quickly towards the door. No one moved to stop her. They knew they couldn't tell her anything right now. It wasn't until she was walking out the door that she heard Killian's loud boots rushing towards her.

"Emma!" He called after her.

She didn't reply as she rushed outside into the cold, morning air. With a flick of her wrist she magically closed on the door on Killian to give her enough time to lose him. The wind touched her tears and cooled her cheeks as she rushed through the street, searching for somewhere to hide. Eventually, she found a storage area blocked by a large gate with "DO NOT BLOCK!" painted in large black letters. Emma rushed inside and sat on a large crate near the back, panting. After all this time, didn't she learn that the comfort of family was better than to be alone? Even so, she had ran and shut herself out from Killian; something she hadn't done for months.

Taking deep breathes, Emma began stroking the little seagull hanging from the delicate silver chain around her neck. She looked down at it, shining the little seagull with her fingers. By giving her an heirloom of his mother, she realized, Killian was formally accepting her as part of his family. She supposed he had wanted to be a part of her family for so long. It wasn't until now that they could finally admit to each other they were ready to not only act like family, but to _be_ a family. To make a family. Everything was perfect except the one thing that made this all possible: their son. Their son who might not make it.

"I'm so sorry." Emma began weeping bitterly and wrapped her arms around herself.

All the emotions that she had been trying to contain all this time spilled out at that moment when she considered the idea she could lose her child. The disappointment in Killian's face would be unbearable. The loss of her sweet unborn son would kill her. She put a hand on her stomach, looking down where the fast growing life inside of her was probably suffering. She was his mother and she didn't know what to do.

"It will be over soon, child." A deep male voice echoed from a few feet in front of her.

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><p><strong>1110 scientists agree that reviews increase update speed by 643%**


	6. Chapter 6

_Emma, Henry and Killian have been happily living in what they consider "peace" at the new Swan apartment until Killian begins to experience repeating nightmares about his past. Their domestic bliss is interrupted by a visit from Killian's mother who comes to warn the couple about an incoming danger and give her son some shocking news about Emma. With the town whipped in a frenzy over the "paranormal" entities appearing around Storybrooke, and the threat of a mysterious new enemy – it's hard for Emma and Killian to focus on their new life together as a growing family._

**I want to make a little clearer that the timeline of my story is around a year or so after the season 3 finale except Marian never came back and season 4 never happened. We good? Good! Any questions are always welcomed! There is A LOT thrown at you here and everything this new villain says will be addressed sooner or later - promise. I got it planned.**

**This chapter was actually suppose to be a lot shorter but I've recently been in complete _awe_ by the kindness and interest so many of you have shown towards this first little chapter fic of mine. Because of your amazing reviews, I am gifting you perfect beauties an extra 1k+ words for Chp6! Very important chapter.**

** My eternal gratitude to those of you who read and send a fav, follow or review in my direction. **

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><p><em>Shit. Who-<em>

Emma's head flew up.

A towering man with silver eyes stared directly at her, sending her heart racing with adrenaline. His hair was grey, wavy and cascaded to his waist while his beard barely reached his chest. The man wore a large white robe against his tanned skin with gold ornaments that shimmered strangely in the light; one of which was a small hourglass at his hip. In one hand he carried a large golden scythe that looked at lethal as it did beautiful. His gaze on her was sympathetic and curious, but had no calming effect. The presence of him sent chills down Emma's spine and rendered her speechless.

"Do not fret. Your sacrifice is honorable and will be rewarded soon." He spoke. Every syllable lingered, like an echo where there shouldn't be one.

"S-sacrifice?" Emma slowly got up from the crate, flexing her fingers beside her. She could feel tingles beneath her skin and the warmth of her magic pulsing inside.

"Emma Swan, I am indebted to you.."

"…What? H-how the hell do you know me?" Emma asked cautiously. She put an arm against the small bulge of her stomach instinctively and while her other continued to prickle with surfacing energy flowing from her elbow to the tips of her fingers at her side.

"I was lost in this strange land without magic. But this town's magic… and the power emitting from within you will be the savior to my weakening self. I came to seek help."

"What the hell do you mean?" Emma asked, taking a step back.

"Emma!" Killian shouted.

Emma's head jerked in the direction of Killian's voice. He was there, pointing a gun at the stranger in front of them.

"Killian." Emma was relieved before she realized his presence only meant danger for him.

_Goddammit, Killian__. I don't know who this man is and I don't know if I can protect you. _

"Who the hell are you, mate?" Killian demanded the stranger as he moved to Emma's side.

Emma pulled Killian closer to her and lowered his gun hand.

"I ask you to control the father of your child, Emma Swan. He is inconsequential and I possess sufficient power to end his life before he can take another breath."

* * *

><p><strong>Killian<strong>

_Who the bloody hell is he? Gods, if he hurt Emma…_

Killian turned to Emma and she was looking back at him. Her eyes were wide with worry. There were dry tear trails down her cheek and his heart clenched.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his eyes flickered down to where her arm rested against her stomach.

There was a small bump there, only barely showing against the fabric of Emma's blouse. Strange. He hadn't even met his son yet but every fiber of his being felt like it was on _fire_ with overwhelming love and reverence as he imagined the child growing inside there. He would use every bit of that fire to protect the life he and Emma created until his life flickered away into nothing. His silent promise burned within him as Emma closed the small distance between them to give him a quick embrace.

"I'm okay." She whispered.

They both relaxed in each other's arms for the briefest moment before Emma pulled away and sighed, turning her attention back to the _abnormally_ large man. _Bloody hell._ Killian could swear the stranger was taller then two of himself stacked one on top of the other.

The stranger with the strange aesthetic looked peacefully at Emma. He was quiet for a moment before his eyes glanced briefly in Killian direction. Despite himself, Killian felt a surge of unease and saw Emma took a few steps forward before breaking the silence.

"So, what are you? Some sort of...grim reaper?" she asked.

_What?_

"What? I haven't the faintest idea what you are referring to, lady Swan. I am known by many names but I would prefer it if your people refer to me as Father Time."

_Pretentious. _Killian never heard of this man before, but there was nothing about him that made him not want to bury a bullet in his skull except for Emma.

"Okay, fine. Do you have something to do with what is happening to my baby?" said Emma.

"Your instincts are correct. My abilities have weakened on arriving here but I have enough power to accelerate the growth of your child for some time. It is imperative that I gain enough power and return home before I fade from existence. Time is of the essence as I _no_ longer hold control over it's course."

He didn't get any good vibes from this man. Ever instinct within Killian burned with the desire to kill him and protect his family even though Father Time hadn't shown any desire for violence. He didn't care. Killian flinched beside Emma, but she turned her body enough to put a hand on his chest and demanded his repose.

"Control of time? Wait, no- _First_ of all, why are you hurting my kid? What does he have to _do _with any of this?_"_

"I am not harming your child. The boy will be born within a month, and in perfect health so he may replenish me. Then I can escape this inferior world with what little strength I have left and that which he will provide for me."

"He's only a month old! H-how…What do you _mean_ he will 'replenish' you." Emma demanded, glaring at him.

"A month old since his conception, yes, but I assure you that his development has reached double what you currently believe." he gestured to Emma's stomach and she put her hand over the bump there protectively.

Whatever it was this "Father Time" wanted to do, it sounded like it was just going to hurt their baby. More than he was already. The coldness of fear came over his face for only a moment before his anger heated him. Killian attempted to move forward but Emma pushed him back, keeping her eyes on Father Time. He couldn't stop himself and neither could Emma. Rage had a habit of dulling his logic.

Killian pushed forward wildly and aimed his gun at the man, "I won't let you hurt Emma or our son if I have to figh-"

With a flick of his wrist, Father Time sent an invisible force against Killian, knocking him backward.

Emma screaming his name was the last thing he heard before all he could focus on was the pain and the sensation of the world blurring around him.

The force of the magic felt stronger than a car hitting him (and he sure as hell remembered how that felt.) Killian grunted in pain and fought to remain conscious as he clutched where he felt the most agony on his chest. To his surprise, the pain began to fade much quicker than he'd expected. Killian looked up to see Father Time looking confused and annoyed as he prepared for another blow – this time the man's arm was outstretched toward Killian. _He had meant to kill me._ Killian was defenseless as he watched gold light glowing from Father Time's hand and fly towards him. To his own horror, Emma stepped in front of him and waved the golden magic away with her own blinding white light. Killian's stomach lurched, but it had nothing to do with the pain and more to do with the danger Emma was now in… because of him.

* * *

><p><strong>Emma<strong>

Emma's blood seemed to boil with anger under her pulsing veins, and her head and heart pounded with adrenaline as she bared her teeth in Father Time's direction.

"_Don't,_" Emma sent a ball of white light towards him, which he promptly avoided, "_touch,_" She sent another which hit him on the shoulder and sent him tripping backwards, _"him!"_ The last blow she sent towards Father Time was deflected by the man's golden magics, but he stared at Emma with a mixture of surprise, anxiety and excitement.

"Imagine the power you possess!" Father Time exclaimed with a laugh, "Twice the power is _within_ you! It gives you _strength!_"

Emma was breathing heavily as she felt the heat of magic continue flowing to her palms and fingers, only contained at her will. From the corners of her eyes she could see her power shining bright white light at her sides.

"Second generation, true love." he gasped with a grin, "I have chosen well."

_What the hell does he mean?_

"With the power of your child, I will return to my dimension and reclaim all that I once was."

With that, Father Time faded into the air around him and disappeared before she knew it. Emma took a step back and looked around her frantically, expected him to appear once more. _What did he mean by his dimension? Was that the same as a realm? True love? Second generation? Her child? Control of time?_ The overwhelming amount of information just thrown at her, accompanied by her adrenaline, made her head pound _painfully._

"Emma," Emma felt a hand against her shoulder and spun around, feeling her hair whip the side of her face as she did so.

Killian didn't even flinch as she glared at him. It took a moment for her to compose herself before her face fell staring at him. He looked worried, his eyebrows furrowed as he scanned her face.

_Idiot._

"Are you alright?" He asked.

_Idiot._

Emma's magic slowly retreated into her palms; the white light fading. Killian sighed, and let out a breathe it looked like he was holding in, nodding as he understood she was alright.

"You scared the hell out of me," Killian's voice wavered, "Don't _ever_ do that again, Swan."

"Do _what?_" Emma spat, "_Save _your sorry ass?"

"You _idiot!"_ she cried, pushing him back, "Your _stupid_ big mouth could have gotten you _killed_."

"Emma-"

She ignored him and began storming away before his hook caught her arm and turned her around.

"I know the you only let me in after the Enchanted forest because you weren't occupied with any other danger. I _know_ it feels like you can't trust me by your side in threatening times like this, but you have to, Swan. You _have_ to trust me."

"You think I only let you in because I was _bored_ and there wasn't any big threats I was busy dealing with? You think I don't _trust_ you?"

"Why else would you be pushing me away like this?!"

"The reason I let my walls down for you is _because_ I trust you."

Killian slightly tilted his head, confused and worried. Emma felt heat rising to her face and her voice rose with anger.

"I didn't realize how _much_ you cared about me until you gave up your home to bring me to mine. It wasn't until then that I was beginning to realize I could _trust_ you with more than your help. _Okay?_ So yes, I trust you. I trust you with _everything_ I have. I didn't give you my heart or opened up my home to you because I didn't have anything else to do!" Emma could feel tears building up with every large breathe she inhaled.

"Then _why_ won't you let me be by your side now? Now when you need me the most?" Killian pleaded.

"You could have died!" Emma shouted, taking away what was left of her strength.

She felt faint, and weak. The fear, worry and strain of her magic had drained her more then she realized when her body was still pulsing with adrenaline. None of that surge of power was there anymore, and she felt empty. All she wanted to do was fall into Killian's arms and stay there until she regained her strength. She called Storybrooke her home, but without him it wouldn't be the same. _He_ was her home. And she almost lost him. Her tears blurred her vision, but she could see the way Killian's adam's apple bobbed when he gulped.

"I lost Graham, Neal, even Walsh... I _can't _lose you too."

_I love you._

Emma was hopelessly in love. Even after almost five months of living with him and sharing a bed - she could still scarcely admit it to herself. Emma remembered after their first night of making love, Killian had held her tightly and whispered that he loved her. All he got in return was was silence so they never mentioned it again. Killian never said those three words to her again, but once in a while she'd hear him whisper it in the middle of the night when he thought she was asleep. It killed her. Emma wanted so badly to say it now - to admit she felt the same way and had for _so_ long. But she couldn't. Admitting it out loud would change everything and she was too frightened...too fragile.

"I-I... can't leave another son fatherless."

"Well, you don't have to worry about me, love" Killian murmured, moving closer to her, "If there is one thing I'm good at – it's _surviving_."

His argument was weak, but it still began to make her stronger than she felt seconds before. As he wiped her stray tears with his thumb, Emma remembered he was the pirate who made the Dark One his worst enemy and later managed to survive centuries in Neverland. He faced terrible odds and worse enemies alone as well as at her side. He went back to Neverland and to the Enchanted Forest in the past; all for her. Ever since they met, Killian had been willing to face many dangers with her. Yet despite all that, he was _still _there. She wanted to believe him, but a life with her would never make it easy for him to continue surviving. The men she loved before him proved that. Because of that, all Emma wanted to do was continue yelling at Killian and pushing him away but her breath faltered as she stared into his eyes. They were filled with immeasurable adoration and the radiating emotion between them faded their surroundings. Her heart and mind fought for control every second he held her gaze.

"Swan, I will never leave you as long as you'll have me. This child…" Killian put his hand against the bump on her stomach and she shuddered, "He will grow up more loved than you can imagine. I won't let anything happen to us. To him. I _swear_ to you."

He smiled shyly and she was speechless. Emma's shaking lips began to purse into the beginnings of a smile before he leaned in. His lips met hers. He pulled her bottom lip towards him and she moved closer, allowing their kiss to erase her troubles… if only for a moment.

* * *

><p>Emma was absolutely exhausted but she could not rest knowing there was still a strange mad-man after her child. Father Time's magic was nothing she'd ever seen before and his whole presence felt more wrong than she could express...and she was <em>afraid.<em> Only an hour and a half ago she called her parents and told them what had happened, expecting some comfort, but receiving more of the opposite. Because of that, she (guiltily) felt relief when they left her to collect knowledge from the townspeople - she had enough stress on her own without adding her parents'.

Henry had gone to accompany Regina with casting a shield on their apartment which left Killian and Emma to head to the library to find information.

"Emma, Hook, I found it!" Belle called, rushing back to the table where Emma and Killian were asked to wait a minute before. Emma was sitting while Killian stood behind her, soothing her with slow, circular movements of his hand on her back. Belle's return from her bookshelves was a welcome distraction from the pain she was starting to feel in her womb but _hell_ if she was going to tell Killian and worry him even more than he already was.

With a dust-disturbing_ thump_, Belle put the book down on the table and pointed at an antique illustration of an old man with a long beard, robe and scythe resting on his shoulder.

"Is that him?" Belle asked, looking up at Emma and Killian.

"Yeah, that's him, alright." said Emma, straining to keep the pain out of her voice. The ache in her midsection was slowly becoming harder to ignore.

_It's probably normal enough to ignore until we're back home. Don't freak out Killian. Don't freak out Killian. _

"I need to get Rumple," Belle said, "I'll be back!" She rushed out of the library.

Killian moved to sit at Emma's side as she pulled the book closer to her. Before reading the text, Emma saved the page with her finger and turned the book over to look at the cover.

"Greek mythology? What is it?" asked Killian, reading the cover.

"Something I _really_ didn't think was real." Emma sighed.

_Why am I still surprised?_

Killian sat down beside her and watched as she went back to the page Belle found for them and began to read out loud...

**[1]** "Chronos (Chronus) is the personification of time itself. He is often confused with, due to the similarity in name, the Titan Cronus, the identification becoming more widespread during the Renaissance, giving rise to the allegory of "Father Time" wielding the harvesting scythe...Father Time is an established symbol in numerous cultures, and appears in a variety of art and media. In some cases, he appear specifically as Father Time, while in other cases they may have another name (such as Saturn) but the characters demonstrate the attributes which Father Time has acquired over the centuries..."

Emma paused, disguising her growing desire to scream in pain as a shaky inhale. Killian glanced at her worriedly. She continued reading again before he could open his mouth.

"...He is also rumored to have possessed a connection to the dead as an agent of time: a cycle of beginnings and endings. This is believed to have been the claim that influenced the popular depiction of the Grim Reaper carrying a harvesting scythe, identical t-to Chr-"

_Shit._

* * *

><p><strong>Killian<strong>

"Emma?" Killian gasped.

_Shit!_

Emma had stopped reading abruptly and began breathing heavily. Killian felt a pang of fear when he saw the pain in Emma's eyes as she winced and put a hand on her (noticeably larger) stomach. Compared to this morning, it had grown at least half an inch. He couldn't imagine the pain it must have been causing her all this time.

"Emma?!" He repeated, leaning down to look her in the eyes, "Bloody hell, are you alright? Tell me what's wrong, please, talk to me."

"I'm fine," she breathed shakily with a nod, "Can you continue reading the p-page?"

"No, you need help, love." Killian insisted, "I'll call your parents right now-"

Killian hastily got up and patted his pockets to find his phone. He could feel his heart pounding against his ribs, his hands were shaking and and cold sweat starting to dew upon his forehead. _Imbecile._ He didn't know how to care for a woman with child. With his child. He didn't know how to care for Emma and his son and it made him want to... dare he think it?_ A pirate never panics, but I suppose a father might._

"No!" Emma croaked, loud enough to make Killian jump and stop to stare at her.

"It's just the baby growing abnormally fast," she inhaled deeply, "_See?_ The pain comes and goes. I'll be fine. Fath- Chronos promised nothing would happen to hurt the baby until he's... born."

Killian paused. She was right. If anything happened to Emma, it would hurt the baby and Chronos, despite his horrendous intentions, seemed determined to have the child born in good health. Still, Killian started to feel dizzy from all their other worries. He let out a shaky sigh and sat beside her again, pulling her close to his chest and letting her lean against him. They both sat there in comfortable silence for a minute, regaining their strength together.

"_Chronos_, huh?" said Emma after a few seconds of staring at the open book in front of them.

"We'll never let him take the boy, whoever he is." Killian promised.

"How do you suggest fighting a _God?_"

"_God?_" Killian scoffed, "Chronos said he needed our son because he was weak. You _saw_ how he struggled with his magic, Emma. That, my love, means we can _defeat_ him and we_ will_. I have yet to see you fail, Swan, and I will be there by your side through it all."

Emma inhaled deeply against him while playing with the seagull necklace around her neck.

Killian lifted his head and cocked it to the side to look at her, "What?"

"A lot of things." Emma answered. She let out a noise that Killian thought was sobbing, but realized quickly was a shaky laugh.

"Aye, there is much to process, I know." Killian smiled weakly, gently pushing some of Emma's hair behind her shoulder with his hook.

"It's just I still can't process the fact that..._ Greek myths_. They are actually, _properly_ real?"

"They aren't, Miss Swan," a troublingly familiar voice answered, "Not in this realm or any realm in our own dimension."

They both turned around to watch Rumplestiltskin and Belle walk into the library. Killian couldn't remember the last time the Crocodile looked so anxious.

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><p><strong>[1]<strong> (IMPORTANT CREDITS: " " pages used for information on Chrono's mythology. Not my words.)

**Fun Fact: Reviews increase my daily happiness and writing speed at overwhelming percentages.**


	7. Chapter 7

**_I must apologize for the delay of this chapter!_ I had run out of pre-written dialogue so I had to work extra on top of the fact my week was extremely busy. Thank you so much for your patience and your interest, as always. The chapters should come at a week-to-week basis now. I will NEVER abandon the fic before giving it its happy finale. I pinky swear. **

**Mmm... I find plot explanations just as annoying as you probably do and this talk with Rumple should be some of the last of it. We'll see more Captain Swan working together now. Obviously that is what all of us want, right? However, I'm also trying to make sure I leave no loose ends so you can expect me to re-visit a few things I've mentioned before later on.**

**. . .**

**IMPORTANT: The Greek titan and father of Zeus, KRONOS/CHRONUS, is a different myth from the greek personification of time, CRONUS/ Father Time. It's understandable if some of you were confused because even the Ancient Greeks were sometimes. That's what they get for giving these two such similar names... Anyway, the only similarity I made between the two is the fact that both of them consume children like the gross idgits they are. Cronus/ Father Time is the only Greek guy in my story. Banshee's are actually Irish legends. Now that that is settled, let's begin...**

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><p><strong>Emma<strong>

"What do you mean?" Emma asked, wincing at the pain in her center as she sat up straighter.

"Reality is divided into dimensions. Infinite amounts of parallel worlds that are nearly impossible to get to but it can happen at the right time." Rumple explained as he walked to the table.

"They're not realms?" asked Emma as Rumple sat down across from her. Belle had disappeared behind the bookshelves and Killian was watching Rumple warily from beside Emma.

"No, dearie, they are not. They're much more complicated."

"Alright… Shoot." Emma said, gesturing for him to continue explaining.

"Banshees are from another dimension. Many were able to migrate and settle in the Enchanted Forest. That, Miss Swan, is how we know of these 'dimensions' and that is why I believe the banshee haunting the Captain here," Rumple lazily pointed to Killian, "…came through the same dimension as our godly tourist. Time causes deaths and Banshees predict deaths. Do you understand? It's not so surprising one followed Chronos. I don't know how they got here, but dimensional crossing only happens every few million years."

At this point in life, Emma had finally stopped questioning the fact Gold seemed to have infinite knowledge on random things. It must have come with immortality, or that fact he seemed to know almost everyone from the Enchanted Forest. Whatever it was, his information gathering skills definitely put her past bail bonds career to shame. They were extremely useful, she had to admit.

"How do we have information on Chronos if he comes from another reality? How does this realm know of his existence?" Killian spoke up. His eyes were narrowed as he gestured to the mythology book.

"How does this realm know of the existence of us, dear Captain? We are fairytales in this world and Chronos is a myth. I like to believe this world has people who eventually acquire knowledge of other realities with their-"

"What? _Imagination?_" Emma interrupted.

"Precisely." Rumple grinned, "Are there any other questions or would you both _kindly_ let me continue as I have other things I'd much rather be doing..." His impatience came out as harshly.

"You aren't going to help us fight Chronos?" Emma gave him an accusing look. She didn't bother hiding the surprise in her voice.

Sure, Rumplestiltskin wasn't the most selfless man in the world but she had at least expected him to try and change for his wife. Belle, unlike her husband, was always willing to help.

"Not unless my wife insists... This affair is your problem to solve, Miss Swan. You are the savior, after all."

"_Our_ problem," Killian corrected him, putting a hand on Emma's shoulder, "And our child is your grandson's younger brother. Does that even matter to you, Crocodile?"

"Of course," he responded dully, "But Chronos is God and his 'divine' magic is not compatible here. He is weak in this dimension and should be child's play for our savior to destroy ... _without_ my assistance."

"Right, he's too weak to return home. Chronos said that is why he needs our son. Why?" Emma thought out loud as she fingered her seagull necklace.

"Chronos doesn't need the baby…" Belle's voice wavered as she appeared from behind her bookshelves. She was carrying an open book in her hand and the shadow of despair upon her face.

"At least not all of him… He needs his soul."

* * *

><p>"Swan, you can't be serious." Killian exclaimed as he jogged to catch up with Emma.<p>

"I am. If he wants the soul of a magical person, he can take mine. If my baby is protecting it like I am protected my baby's, according to the bookworm, I will still figure out a way to give it to Chronos if that is what it takes to save my son." Emma kept walking, not looking at Killian. The pain was starting to return to her womb so she put her hand over her stomach, praying the baby wasn't feeling as much pain as she was.

"Our son, Emma. He's mine too, and I won't let anyone hurt him but I won't let you do this either."

_I'm sorry._

"Like you can stop me."

Killian hooked her arm, "Love, I'm begging you to let us find another way."

"You're the one who said we can't waste him grasping straws, this is the only way!" Emma turned around harshly, glaring at Killian.

"I won't survive if I lose you." said Killian, the full power of his blue gaze upon Emma. She winced.

"If Aurora was able to rescue Phillip's soul from a wraith and return it to it's body then maybe you can too." said Emma, detaching herself from Killian's hook and about to start walking again before Killian put a hand on her shoulder.

"That prince's soul was in another realm. I would go to the end or the world and time for you, Emma, but you heard what the crocodile said. Dimensional travel only happens every million years. Doing this would be like killing yourself forever."

"I'm tired of these conversations, Killian, I already told you that every minute Chronos stays in this dimension… Henry, my parents… everyone is in danger. Especially you. Especially our son. There is nothing... Absolutely _nothing_ I won't do to protect my family." Emma continued walking. At first she was just walking for the sake of getting far away from the library but now she realized she was unconsciously moving towards their apartment. Emma realized Killian would be there with her and she'd have no right to kick him out.

Killian started to follow her again._ Of course._ Just like old times. And just like their past, she wouldn't stop him.

"What happened to heroes always win? We can do this together, Emma. Especially now that we are true-

"Don't say it." Emma said squeezing her eyes shut for a second as she kept walking.

_Don't you dare say true love._

"What?" said Killian and Emma could hear the pain in his voice, "Swan, you hear-"

"I don't give a damn what people say we are, for all Our son has magic because I do. That's why. Whatever we are has nothing to do with his magic. My little brother is a product of true love and he doesn't have magic. It's bullshit. Until I see solid proof, I won't believe I can have something like true love as anything other then a mother." Emma said sharply.

Part of her believed it could be true, but the idea was so ridiculous she wasn't going to accept it. True love was her parents and way they were so united in body and soul that they could literally _share_ a heart. True love was something she knew existed but she didn't give it the light of day so she'd never come to expect it to happen to her as a lover. She loved Killian but if she couldn't even tell him that, how was she going to accept that they could be true love?

"I understand." said Killian, as they reached their apartment. The pain in his voice made her heart clench. He sounded sure in his words but she could hear the suffering behind them from her denial. It broke her heart, but she wasn't going to take it back. She didn't deserve him right now and she was starting to believe perhaps she never did.

* * *

><p><strong>Killian<strong>

Perhaps she was right. How could he be the true love of someone as pure and light as Emma when his past was filled with so much unforgivable darkness? She'd given him more then he knew he deserved, and maybe that was all the universe would allow him to have. He should be thankful and satisfied…but he wasn't. He loved Emma more then he ever loved anything including his own life. Even so, it would be selfish to pine for more love and trust from Emma. He wouldn't push her.

"Are you feeling alright?" Killian asked as Emma walked to the refrigerator. He had observed her occasional wincing and clutching at the fabric above the bulge of her belly.

"Fine, just hungry." She answered plainly, taking out a bag of chicken nuggets from the freezer.

"I'll make that for you, love. Why don't you go lie down? Henry's still staying at Regina and Robin's so you should take advantage of that and rest some more." Killian walked over to her.

"Thanks," she mumbled and handed him the bag before heading to their bedroom.

Just as she disappeared into the next hall, the phone rang. Killian rushed to pick it up. When he answered, he heard the familiar background noise of a fussing baby.

"Emma?" Snow asked from the other side of the line.

"It's Killian. Emma went to rest."

"…She's in pain isn't she?" Snow sighed sadly.

"I'm afraid so," Killian answered as he began putting a dozen chicken nuggets into a pan. He decided on adding a dozen more just in case. Surely Emma was beyond normal hunger with the baby growing so fast. _…Our baby._

"Thank you, Killian, for taking care of her." Snow's voice was quiet, and solemn on the other line but soft and genuinely grateful.

"No need, milady," Killian said, "I assume Belle told you what we're up against?"

"Yes, she just called a minute ago." Snow paused, "I can't believe it. _Chronos…_ Someone beyond any realm in our world and he decides to hurt _my_ daughter and my grandson." She sighed before continuing, "I'm researching with Charming in case we can find some more information on him. but we don't understand what to make of most of this. Oh, Killian, I don't know what to do. I want to see Emma, but I know she doesn't want me there right now."

Killian's eyebrows rose as he contemplated the fact that Emma's mother was seeking comforting words from him.

"You're a great mum. Emma loves you and David, she's just a little overwhelmed right now but I'll be sure to tell her you called, I know she'll be grateful to know she can always count on her parents no matter how she feels about company at the present."

"Thank you. You've been very good for her these past months, Killian. I know we can trust you."

Once again, Killian found himself at loss for words.

"…That means a lot, milady."

"I told you about a thousand times to call me Snow or Mary Margaret." Snow said. Killian could hear the smile in her voice.

"Apologizes…Snow."

"I have to go feed Neal. Please tell Emma to call Charming and me at any time. Both of you, of course."

"Will do."

"…And give her our love."

"Of course."

"Thank you, Killian" Snow hung up afterwards and Killian sighed as he put the phone down.

The chicken nuggets were about finished cooking but with his conversation with Snow, he hadn't prepared himself to face Emma yet after their argument. He wasn't sure if he should even speak to her yet until she wanted to.

"Killian!" Emma called from their room. "Food!"

_And now's my chance…_

Killian nodded to himself and inhaled deeply as he dumped the cooked chicken nuggets onto a plate.

"Coming, love!"

Emma was lying on the bed with her head and chest propped up on a few pillows. The blankets were up to her chest. When he came in, she was already staring at the door and now she gazed at Killian with impatience.

"Finally." she whined.

"Sorry I took so long, your mother called. She sends her love." Killian said as he sat besides Emma and handed her the plate.

"Thank you." Emma nodded.

She took the plate and immediately started munching on one of the (very hot) nuggets as if it threatened to escape her hand at any moment. She made a soft moaning sound, closing her eyes. Killian shifted uncomfortable in his seat.

"Delicious." sighed Emma, muffled by the food in her mouth.

"I'm… I'm just going to make some more." Killian said, slightly breathless as he got up.

"…Wait." Emma swallowed and touched Killian's hook before he got up. Even though he couldn't feel her skin, he shuddered at her touch.

"Okay, listen. I know I've been really crappy lately, and I'm sorry," Emma started, biting the inside of her mouth, "I can't just blame it on the hormones, there's been so much going on and I was being terrible to you when you don't actually deserve any of it."

Killian tilted his head slightly and opened his mouth to talk before he even had anything figured what to say. Nothing came out.

Emma licked her bottom lip, "And okay. I'm not giving up my soul because we'll figure out another way. I'm sorry I was overreacting, I just don't know what else to do anymore." Her brow furrowed in distress.

"We'll solve this, Swan. Together." Killian smiled softly but he could not have felt more overjoyed at her change of heart.

"Together," she repeated softly.

Emma pursed her lips as if to smile but she took a bite of a nugget instead. Killian started to rub her back slowly, staring at how her stomach was covered by the bed's blankets. Emma seemed to notice because she put her plate beside her and looked up at Killian with a shy smile.

"Worried about your son?" she asked softly.

Killian's heart raced at those words. No matter how much he thought about it, the thrill of being a future father, biologically this time, was still something of a dream he never wanted to wake from. The reality still startled him in the best of ways.

"I'm worried about both of you." he admitted, returning her smile.

"Killian, it's like I can feel him moving every second. None of this is like when I was pregnant with Henry. _He_ wasn't getting as big as a two month old baby during my first month of pregnancy..."

Emma slowly drew the covers from her to expose the larger bulge on her stomach. Killian's heart seemed to stop.

"Do you want to feel?" Emma asked, clearly amused by his speechless expression. "He kicks sometimes."

"Really?" Killian grinned at her before gently laying his hand on Emma's belly. "Are you kicking your mother, little lad?" He murmured to the unborn child.

Killian felt a small and quick movement against his hand that made his eye widen in surprise as he looked up at Emma. She started to laugh softly.

"Yeah, that was a kick. They weren't suppose to happen for at least another month, but he doesn't seem to care."

"What an impatient one." he said affectionately.

"I guess he takes after me on that." Emma smiled.

"Aye. He definitely doesn't take it from me." Killian agreed, beaming at Emma.

Killian leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on Emma's belly before cupping her cheek and kissing her forehead. She didn't let him pull away before kissing him on the lips once; gentle and passionate.

They lay in each other's arms for a few minutes as Emma ate and Killian quietly thought of all the ways he would protect his growing family and all the things he hoped to teach his son. No one was going to take this chance away from him. Not ghosts, banshees or other-dimensional Gods. He _swore _this.

* * *

><p><strong>Review (for quicker writing) ?<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**My muse was pretty active lately and I received so many lovely reviews so this is a quicker update! I took advantage of a good muse to bullet point all the events that are going to happen next up to the finale of this fic. I expect this to go to 15-20ish chapters.**

**Also, _reminder_ that season 4 never happened in my story so characters like Elsa, Anna, Kristoff and Will Scarlett were never in Storybrooke!**

* * *

><p><strong>Emma<strong>

The next day, Emma's belly had grown almost twice its size and it looked like she had stuck a small pillow up her shirt. Emma had gotten no sleep and neither did Killian. He spent hours helping her every time she needed to get sick into the toilet and cooking for her in the middle of the night when she experienced intense food cravings. She felt horrible for having to put him through it all.

_Half of this is his fault._ Emma thought jokingly, as she tried to calm herself from the pain in her center. Killian returned from the kitchen a moment later with a bowl of chocolate ice cream, a grilled cheese and strawberries for breakfast.

_The baby isn't even born yet and he already wants to have dessert instead of a proper meal. Seriously kid, look what you're making me want to eat._

"Open up," said Killian as he held up a strawberry with a smirk.

"Oh,_ please_, I don't need you to feed me too." Emma complained as she took the strawberry from his hand. He laughed, but she could only smile because breathing hurt, so she wasn't going to risk even a giggle.

"Are you feeling a little better?" he said, a worried pout replacing his smile.

"I'm feeling the same since you asked 15 minutes ago, Killian."

"Well, the computer machine said that you were suppose to gain weight but the only place you look bigger is where the baby is growing… Swan, you're hardly keeping in all your food."

"Just computer," Emma corrected him, "And I know, I know. I'm _trying_. He's probably always just as hungry as I am and I feel like a crap mother because I can't even keep the food in." She muttered before taking a spoonful of chocolate ice cream into her mouth.

Emma felt like a disaster – sitting in her bed and eating a bowl of ice cream, a grilled cheese and strawberries while her belly throbbed with hunger and pregnancy pains from the abnormally fast growth of her child. Killian was basically forced to tend to her needs as if she was on her deathbed. Emma tried not to admit it, but this wasn't the first time she wished she wasn't pregnant now because of all the pain and inconvenience it caused. The thought was in the back of her mind because at the same time she wanted this child more then anything. Everything was suddenly so complicated now when only a month ago her life was stable. That was all gone now. However, she would still gladly endure all this hell if it meant the survival of her child.

"Would you like me to tell you a story?" Killian asked, putting his arm around her hesitantly. He laid it down when Emma didn't complain and started to rub her arm slowly.

"_Really?_" Emma raised a brow at him, "We don't have time for stories, Killian."

"We have time. Your parents haven't called yet," Killian responded, "I'm sure they're doing some last minute things before they get here, love."

"Besides," he kissed her cheek, "You're not feeling well and my mother used to tell me stories when I was sick or in pain to distract me. It usually helped."

"Okay," Emma smiled after swallowing a strawberry, "How about you tell me about her and about the rest of your family? You hardly ever talk about them."

"Aye. You shared your beginnings with me before, so it is only fair I do as well." he returned a smile before looking across the room in thought.

* * *

><p><strong>Killian <strong>

Emma made herself comfortable besides Killian, her gaze alternating between her food and him as she ate. Killian was watching her empty the ice cream bowl as he decided where to start his story. It was harder for him to remember small details when it had been more than two centuries ago, but wanted to try his best to distract Emma and he truly did owe her more knowledge of where he came from. He was glad to tell her despite painful recollections of hard times in his past.

"Well Swan, the story starts in a town near the docks of the Southern Isles where the family Jones resided," he winked at her, "I heard from my older brother that it was a good life until our father abandoned us upon my birth. Consequently, I hardly know anything about the bastard except what I've heard about him. I know he loved my mother once." Killian touched the seagull necklace around Emma's neck, "But he was a coward who couldn't look after anyone else but himself. So he left."

_I was like that once._

"Mm, remember when you were like that when we first met?" Emma said, as if she read his thoughts, "Well... unlike your father, you came back."

"The first time I came only for my revenge, if you remember correctly_, _Swan." Killian responded.

"Sure, but then you came back many times more for other reasons. My very loyal gull." she smiled.

"Gull?"

"Seagull," Emma gave him a smirk as she lifted her seagull necklace, "Remember?"

"I'll never forget that conversation but I'd prefer you don't actually call me that." Killian said in a mock sternness, poking the tip of her nose.

Emma let out a small laugh that was quickly replaced by a wince. She quickly put a hand on her belly and muttered something that sounded like a cuss.

"I'm alright," she assured him before he could ask.

"Are you sure?" Killian started rubbing her arm slowly again.

"Positive" Emma said in a strained voice as she repositioned herself higher on the pillow behind her back.

"Would you like me to continue the story?"

"Fire at will," answered Emma, leaning into him and taking another strawberry from her bowl.

"Alright. Well, my mother… she was always hard at work in a textile factory near our home for the wages we needed to live. It was basically my older brother, Liam, who raised me when my mum was working." Killian paused to inhale deeply and noticed Emma seemed to be listening intently despite her quiet food munching.

"When she was home, Gavia tried her best to give Liam and me everything she could, but the loss of our father took a toll on her in more ways than just lack of coin." Killian sighed, "She always wore the seagull necklace the man gave her, but that and her constant despair was the only reminder that my father ever existed. Mum never talked about him and neither did Liam. I stopped caring eventually because I felt like I had everything with her and my brother. It was enough for me."

Emma smiled softly as he continued.

"Since our mother was usually busy, Liam taught me everything I knew then. How to defend myself, how to work, and later how to sail. He was more then my brother…he was basically my _father_. Ol' Liam was my idol and inspiration" Killian smiled sadly at the memories and Emma rested her head on his chest. He pulled her closer.

"Later on, Liam enlisted himself into the royal navy at the earliest age he could because my mum was much older and the hard hours she always worked got more difficult for her to manage. She was constantly getting sick from the stress. Liam had no choice but to leave me home when he went to sea. I took care of my mother until she passed away... One day she was just too sick to continue."

"Killian," Emma lifted her head and looked at him with such a face of pity that he almost regretted telling her his story. "I'm sorry. It must have been hell."

She deserved to know about him and he had no quarrel trusting her with his past, but at the same time Killian didn't want to cause her anymore distress. "No, I'm the only who should be sorry, love. If the story is upsetting you I can-"

"No, it's okay. Continue." Emma whispered.

Killian paused to read her expression and she truly looked interested. He sighed and nodded.

"...As you wish," he said, smiling softly at her hopeful expression.

"When Gavia passed away, I was of age to enlist into the navy so I joined my brother. He helped me rise through the ranks and doing so himself. As you already know, love, he became my Captain and that I was the lieutenant in most of his journeys. We spent years serving in the navy together before…"

Emma put a soothing hand on his and squeezed it once, telling him she was there for him with the small gesture. It meant so much more than he could express.

"...Well, you know the rest, love. Those are the basics of my story." Killian concluded, "Perhaps I can share lighter details with you another day when we have more time to spare."

"I'd like that," said Emma, lifting her head from his shoulder to smile at him.

Killian turned his head slightly before leaning into her and pressing his lips against hers. She parted her lips the moment his tongue began coaxing open her mouth, and they breathed each other in for what seemed like a while before Emma jumped and gasped. Killian pulled away.

"What's wrong?" he asked, slightly hazy from their kiss. She still had that effect on him - like a drug.

"Nothing, the baby just kicked me again." Emma chuckled lightly with a small wince.

Killian looked down at Emma's hand on her belly.

"With all Chronos has been doing to him I would have expected him to be more still and dismal like me," Emma sighed, "But no matter what he must be suffering right now, our baby seems ready to take on the world and kick ass… You know, like his father, I'd say he definitely has a strong will." She smiled down at her baby bump affectionately.

Killian put his hand on hers that was rested on her belly and did indeed feel the movement life growing inside her. His heart swelled with fierce adoration for their unborn child.

"The little lad is certainly strong and willing." Killian whispered tenderly.

"We can't keep just calling him _'baby.' _or _'lad' _" Emma said, looking down at their hands.

"...Hmm?"

"Killian, he needs a _name._"

"What names do you have in mind, love?" Killian murmured, smiling widely and lifting his hand up to gently push Emma's hair away from her face.

"Well..." she exhaled slowly.

Killian wanted her to decide. Partly because Emma never got to pick the name of her first child and because she was going through all the pain of carrying their baby on her own. He didn't exactly mind what the child's name was. Killian would love him unconditionally, no matter what she chose to call him.

Emma mused silently for a moment while slowly rubbing small circles on her belly.

"I was thinking, if it's alright with you…" she looked up at him.

Killian tilted his head as he gazed at her expectantly.

"_…William_." Emma said, "We can call him Liam, but we won't have to if you don't want to. You know, since we were just talking about his strong _will_ to live and I wanted to honor your brother… I just thou-"

"William is perfect," Killian breathed.

Words could not express how touched Killian was that Emma would think of celebrating Liam and yet also about whether he felt comfortable calling their child by the same name. Of _course_ he was and Killian could not have been happier of Emma's choice. It was unique, but still brought honor to his brother. Their son would be named William. _Their little William_. I felt like Killian's heart could float out of his chest.

_How did I ever get so lucky with this woman? What did I do to deserve her? To deserve all of the happiness and light she brings into my life? And this child? Our William._

"Whether his moniker is Liam or Will, it's a dignified and strong name. Fit for a prince." Killian beamed and could feel the tears building up in his eyes as he lifted his hand to cup Emma's cheek.

"Mmm, I think it's good for a pirate's son too." Emma whispered, as she returned his smile and leaned into his touch.

"…_Aye_." Killian agreed, inclining forward to kiss her once more.

* * *

><p><strong>Emma<strong>

Killian had invited her family in while Emma rushed to quickly put on her largest T-shirt and a pair of bulky leggings. She was so caught up in conversation with him on their bed that she had forgotten to get dressed and take a shower.

_Either way_, she thought, _I would still look terrible no matter what with the dark circles and bags under my eyes and the way it looks like I lost all trace of meat on my bones. Who cares what I'm wearing or how my hair's done, really. _

It didn't really matter much to her that she looked terrible or skinny as long as her William was healthy. _Oh,_ _little Liam._ Now being able to think of her baby's name made her heart soar with, love and excitement. Emma really did love the name, but she also planned on calling him Liam for short. Thankfully Killian had agreed and Emma would _never_ forget the surprise and adoration in his eyes when she mentioned it.

She decided not to announce the baby's name to everyone else yet as she walked into the living room where her family was currently waiting for her. They would know the happy news when he was born and _safe_ in her arms.

"Mom, you're huge." Henry exclaimed as caught sight of Emma and stood from the couch.

"Hey kid," Emma beamed, despite still feeling like pregnant hell.

While Snow and David stood up from their seats, Henry walked over to Emma looking slightly unsure. She answered by extending her arms towards him and didn't even have to lean down anymore to hug her very tall pre-teen. He sighed in relief and walked closer into the slightly awkward embrace because it was a bit hard to hug with the large baby bump. It didn't matter, though. A hug with her eldest son was way overdue.

"I missed you so much," Emma whispered. It was true. Every moment Henry wasn't near her, she felt the absence to her core no matter if he only happened to only be a few blocks away. If she ever lost any of her sons forever, she knew she would not recover from the emptiness it would cause inside her. Emma kept that thought close to her heart, reminding herself that her duty as a mother was to always keep her children safe no matter the cost. She couldn't shake the feeling that there would be a great cost fighting against Chronos to protect them.

"I missed you too, Mom." Henry murmured before pulling away from the hug to smile at her. Emma cupped his cheeks and kissed his forehead lightly before letting him step away from her. At that moment she remembered he wasn't the only one that came to visit her today. She caught the worried eyes of her parents.

"Emma" Snow sighed, smiling apprehensively at her daughter.

"Emma, we've been worried," David said, "Are you alright?"

Emma noticed they were casting wide eye'd glances at her baby bump, though they tried not to. Oh, she couldn't blame them, really. It must have grown more than twice the size it was since they'd last seen her. Sure, the presence of her parents was always very comforting to Emma, but she just wished they wouldn't keep looking at her like that. For some foolish reason, Emma felt very self-conscious being gaped at that way. She didn't need another reminder she had an enormous pregnant belly when she felt the pain of it well enough every second.

"Mom, dad, I'm fine," Emma lied through a smile as she walked towards them.

There was a moment of awkward silence where Emma cleared her throat.

"So, where's baby brother?"

"Belle is baby-sitting Neal at our apartment." Snow answered quickly.

"And how is your baby, Emma?" David asked next, looking like he was struggling to say the right words.

_Jeez, am I really that intimidating to talk to know? Or is it because they think I'm very sensitive right now? I can't seem _that_ hormonal... can I?_

"...Growing" Emma finally decided to say, with a smile and shrug as she was desperate to ease the tension in the room.

"Alright, I'm here," Regina said, walking into the apartment before anyone could respond.

"Regina." said Emma in surprise, putting a hand on her belly.

Ever since Regina's marriage with Robin a few months ago, she hardly ever went anywhere without him. She didn't have much time to bother with the Charmings either, so Emma was surprised to see her coming to visit at all.

"Sharing your mother's fascination with birds?" Regina asked as she closed the door behind her.

"What?" said Emma.

"The necklace." Regina gestured to it with her chin as she walked in.

"Killian gave it to me." Emma said, fingering the small silver seagull attached to it.

"It's _very_ beautiful." Snow said, smiling at Killian. Of course her mother would think that.

"Thank you, milady" Killian gave a small head bow towards Snow, "It was my mother's."

Snow put a hand to her heart and looked at Killian like he was an adorable puppy at the pound. Beside her, David's head went up a little..

"Ah, yes. Your_ mother_. Have you seen her around lately?" Regina looked expectantly at Killian.

"You mean the banshee? Not of late, no." he responded patiently.

"Not that it isn't nice to see you, Regina, but what are you doing here?" Emma asked, tilting her head.

"Miss Swan, did you really think I was going to leave Henry alone with an other-worldly God loose in Storybrooke?"

"Oh, and she also brought something from Blue and the other fairies." offered Snow.

"The fairies? But we already found out who the enemy is-" Killian started to say.

"They got that news, Hook," Regina interrupted, lifting something small and golden from her large leather purse, "That's why the fairies/nuns found you something else that might be more useful."

"What is it?" Emma asked impatiently.

"This." Regina walked over to Emma and handed her the object in her grasp.

It was a large locket that's golden shine looked dulled by years of use or abandonment, perhaps. The locket was attached to a thick chain that matched it in dimness and color. Emma took it with scrutinization and opened it to find it had a clock inside. The little device in the locket boasted extravagantly made roman numerals and curvy hour hands.

"Is this some sort of ancient pocket watch?" Emma asked, raising an eyebrow at Regina.

"It's not just a pocket watch anyone can find on eBay, Miss Swan," Regina sighed, "It's _enchanted._ It has the ability to trap the essence of a soul-empathetic creature." She spoke in a tone that probably meant people were suppose to gasp and nod with excitement. So it was no wonder the the quiet and thoughtful faces around her were the cause of Regina's current exasperated features, which Emma promptly ignored as she absorbed the information.

Killian had walked over to Emma's side and watched her turn over the stopwatch to look over its details. On the back there was an etching in elegant cursive...

**_"Time is always engaged though it may be limited,_**

**_as the spirit may be caged though always infinite."_**

_I suppose a spirit is a soul. Being caged would probably be trapped in this thing, right? Magic can be incredibly sick sometimes._

"Emma, Do you remember what wraiths are?" Regina spoke up, interrupting Emma's musings.

"Um, yes, those... dementor things that suck souls. I remember."

"_Dementor?_" Snow spoke while tilting her head.

"It's a Harry Potter thing." Henry offered, grinning at Emma.

"As I was about to say," Regina continued, "_Banshees_ are similar to wraiths because they can sense souls, though they don't take them like wraiths do. _That's_ how they know when to scream. When someone is dying the person's soul starts leaving it's body and Banshees can feel when it's about to happen. "

"And?" said Emma.

Regina gestured to the pocket watch, "If we _trap_ the essence of a creature that can feel and sense souls like a wraith or a banshee, we can _use _that essence and turn it into a way to protect someone's own soul."

"We can protect my baby's soul from Chronos?" Emma breathed, putting a hand on her belly.

"Now you're getting it," Regina scoffed, "But we need to obtain a banshee or wraiths' essence. If we _capture_ one in that enchanted watch, we should be able to use it to your advantage."

"And we already have a banshee roaming around." David mused out loud.

"Exactly." Regina said, looking towards Snow and David before turning back to Emma. "_Well?_"

"Alright. Let's do it." Emma agreed, clutching the pocket watch tighter in her other hand.

_Time is certainly limited._

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><p><strong>Make me smile and write faster with a review! Xx<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**I was really not in the mood to write for so much of last week because of tHINGS, but your reviews, favs and follows really pushed my muse to work and I thank you all, again, for your support of my first chapter fic. It's such a pleasure to write and see the response. **

**So, I finally ended up binge writing for like two days when I just had so much inspiration even though I hadn't written anything for a while. ****Actually, my binge writing caused me to accidently write _too_ much and I had to split this chapter into two. There isn't much action in this half because there is way too much action in the next half. The next half will be Chapter 10 and it will certainly come quicker then this update because basically all I need to do is edit it.**

**Without further ado, here is the happiness before the pain...**

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><p><strong>Emma<strong>

Emma slipped her arms into the sleeves of her jacket as she looked out their living room window. Henry had found this house for them a few months ago and Emma still thought to herself how perfect it was everyday. It was _right_ by the docks. There was a stunning view of sunlight shimmering on the rippling waves of the water and since the air in the apartment started to feel thicker by the minute, the view of the outside only grew more appealing. As much as she loved her home, Emma was desperate to leave the confines of the apartment, which unfortunately felt more like a prison after hours of not being able to leave the couch from her pregnancy pains.

"What are you doing?" Killian asked as he walked out of the kitchen.

"I'm going to take a walk." Emma stated simply, shrugging into her jacket and ignoring the fact she couldn't zipper it against her bulging belly.

"What?" Killian said in disbelief.

Emma rolled her eyes to herself as she headed towards the door.

"Woah, woah, _wait,_ love." Killian ran over and put his hand against the door.

_Seriously?_

"Get out of the way, Killian" Emma said, bouncing once on the balls of her feet once as she stared impatiently towards him.

"Emma, I can't let you just walk out in your condition," he gestured to her pregnant belly with his hook.

"I'm_ pregnant_, not sick," Emma scoffed, "I just need to get some air, okay?"

"It's not just that, love, Chronos is out there-"

"Screw Chronos, I've been stuck here for almost two days with nothing to do but practice the essence spell for the banshee and wallow in my pregnancy pains. I'm. Getting. _Out._" Emma insisted, raising her brows.

Killian sighed and looked around nervously for a moment before taking a step back from the door. He licked his lips in a way Emma deemed extremely unfair.

"Alright, but I'm coming with you." he said as he opened the door for her.

_Always the gentlemen._

"…Good." Emma gazed coyly at him and stroked his arm as she passed.

"Vixen," Killian muttered.

"Yours." she chimed back.

Killian sniffed when she flashed a grin in his direction and started walking. Under the sun, Emma felt free and childish, wanting to skip and spin with her hands in the air. Of course, none of that was possible with the weight she carried and the fact she was a_ mature _and grown adult woman, but it was a nice thought as she approached the docks.

"So, you sure you have that spell down, love?" Killian asked as he took her hand gently into his own.

"I think so, and I brought the 'magical' pocket watch just in case, but it won't help if the banshee never shows up." said Emma, intertwining their fingers.

"Well, it will only show up to warn of a death." he sighed.

"Win and lose situation, either way," Emma mused, "What if we tried killing a rat or something?"

Killian let out a small and breathy laugh, "…I think it only warns of human deaths."

"'Course." she sighed. Killian looked sympathetically towards her.

If that was true, the only way she could save her baby was for someone else to die, because that was the only way the banshee would show up. _A life for a life._ She was a hero, a _savior_. How could she let someone else die for her? Except it _wasn't_ for _her_, the voice inside her insisted. It was for her _baby_ and Emma had promised herself that no matter what, she would do anything to protect her children. Nevertheless, the realty of what she would have to allow to happen, for her to capture the banshee, started to make her feel extremelyuneasy. She had a feeling doing this was going to cost her so much more than she expected, like what seemed to always happen in her life.

"You sure you're alright, love?" Killian asked softly, looking casting a warm glance at her as they walked.

Emma was sure Killian already processed what would have to happen; just as he was mostly likely sure she did too. The problem was Emma didn't want to talk about it. Saying it out loud would make it real. So as they arrived at the docks, she decided she wouldn't mention it.

"…It's just that _how_ am I suppose to fight Chronos with all this?" Emma looked down at her bump, caressing it slowly with her hand.

"Your magic, if you need to use it. It's more powerful then all our guns put together and I'm certainly not letting you swing a sword while carrying my child." Killian smiled crookedly at her.

"You can't stop me from doing whatever the hell I want, Killian, " Emma joked as she sat on a bench facing the water.

"But I won't."

Killian sat beside her, "Aye, you're quite the force of nature."

"Am I?" Emma grinned and raised her brow at him.

"I have no doubt," he put an arm around her," In fact, I'd wager that you would have been quite the compelling goddess in Chronos' dimension."

"_Goddess_," Emma scoffed. She laughed afterwards, looking towards the water. "Now _that _is something I never thought I'd ever be called."

"Well you've been addressed as a savior, love, and not to mention a prin-"

"Okay," Emma chuckled, "Okay, I can deal with being a princess and a savior but that's overwhelming enough without thinking of the fact I could be a 'goddess.' Which I can't and _don't _want to be. Or even think about. I've had enough with this confusing theological crap thrown at us recently."

"Besides," Emma deeply inhaled the salty water air, "The most important thing I am is a _mother_, above everything else."

Killian looked affectionately at Emma, "Aye," he murmured pressing a kiss to her hair.

"And speaking of," Emma gave Killian a chaste kiss on the lips and smiled, "Liam is hungry. Mother needs to get some food."

Emma had been getting a lot better at not throwing up her food. The sandwich she ate almost an hour ago was probably still being digested. Despite that, she could still feel her stomach tightening with hunger once more. William needed food quicker and more often if he was growing faster then normal babies. That was _very_ certain during these past few weeks.

"We just ate less then half an hour ago." Killian raised a dark eyebrow.

"Yes. Again." Emma nodded

"And we just got here…" Killian exaggerated a sigh as he got up and took Emma's hand to help her stand.

Emma took his hand, smiling as she stood. She didn't let go of it and they started walking away from the dock.

"And for a pregnant woman, it looks to me like you can hardly sit still right now." Killian observed.

"I'm tired of sitting still, no matter how much pain I get in." Emma remarked, "And besides, we haven't been in Granny's for almost a week. That's like our _record_."

"Aye, it must be." he agreed, taking a glance in her direction as they walked side by side. "You're not in any pain right now, are you, love?"

"Nah, it's dull. I'm fine." she reassured him, putting her free hand on her belly once more.

"I'm glad to hear it." Killian leaned down slightly as they walked, looking at Emma's baby bump, "So what would little Liam like to eat for his second lunch?" he cooed.

Emma started giggling at the vision of Killian speaking to their son via her belly. He chuckled, looking up at her now.

They continued walking towards Granny's Bed and Breakfast, talking softly to each other about they planned to do once the baby was born. They were _very_ behind on baby shopping, and they still hadn't finished the room they intended to be the nursery. Killian proposed giving it a nautical theme, to which Emma laughed and agreed with the only condition that she would pick out the colors. Their conversation had her smiling from ear to ear. This wasn't like her pregnancy with Henry, where people at the jail sneered at her, eye'd her non-stop and called her a "slut" behind her back. This time she was an expecting mother, yes, but one that was filled with the bliss instead of dread. This time she was anticipating a child who would have a parents, family and a place to call home. Emma squeezed Killian's hand and smiled up at him as she pictured their future together and that of their incoming son.

"Well, look at you two lovebirds!" Ruby chimed. Emma and Killian turned their heads forward to see Ruby posing besides the white fence of Granny's diner, smirking at them.

"Ruby." Emma's eyebrows rose as she took in the spunky brunette smirking and raising an eyebrow at them.

"Emma you look like you swallowed a basketball," Ruby stood up straighter with a widening smile as they got closer, "How is the baby?"

"He's doing fine under the circumstances." Emma returned the smile.

"Good afternoon, Ruby." Killian greeted her with a small nod.

"You too, Hook." Ruby nodded in his direction then looked back towards Emma, "Come on in, guys. I'll have some hot chocos ready for you and whatever else you want. Extra French fries on the house for the little one." She winked.

"Thank you, Ruby." Emma flashed her a grateful smile as they entered the diner.

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><p><strong>Killian<strong>

The diner seemed particularly normal despite what was going on in town, with Chronos and all. Granny was handing coffee and biscuits to a man at the counter. A few other people Killian had seen around town were seated in different areas and picking on their burgers and salads.

Aurora and Phillip were chatting closely in a booth, their baby resting comfortable in his mother's arms. Killian recalled the many for nights that infant kept him up while he still lived at Granny's and suddenly realized the experience of late-night cries will be repeated when his own son is born. Instead of disappointment at the realization, Killian could only feel the excitement of anticipating his baby boy's birth. The thoughts of William still warmed his heart as he helped Emma settle into a booth. Killian then sat himself across from her once he saw she was comfortably seated.

"What's with smiley pirate?" Emma asked as he sat. She raised an eyebrow at him from across the table, her lips curled up.

"I was just thinking of William," Killian said quietly, reaching across the table to hold her hand. Emma's smile widened as she moved her arm further in front of her to intertwine her fingers with his.

"Alright, lovebirds." Ruby interrupted with a smirk as she appeared beside the booth with a tray.

Emma and Killian let go of each other's hands and moved their arms from the table for Ruby to set down their hot chocolates.

"With cinnamon for Emma, and extra cream for Killian." Ruby said, putting the tray on the table. "Anything else you guys would like?"

Killian raised his brow at Emma with a smile and she grinned at him before looking towards Ruby.

"Two burgers with fries, please. Extra tomatoes." Emma said.

"Got it." Ruby nodded and walked back to the counter, leaving the two 'lovebirds' (as she seemed to like calling them,) to their own.

Meanwhile, Emma picked up her hot chocolate and took a few generous sips. Killian absentmindedly watched her, tapping his fingers against his hot cup.

Despite genuinely trying not to, Killian couldn't keep his nervous state in check. He didn't want to deny Emma her wish to go out, but every second they spent in the diner put his senses on wider alert. It wasn't unknown to him that every time there was a significant danger in Storybrooke, drama, many times threatening, would always occur at Granny's Bed and Breakfast. He wanted to leave and take Emma back home, but there is no doubt his love would have a hard time agreeing.

Since beginning to live together, and before the current state of things, he and Emma were often finding common ground if what they each wanted happened to be different. She would even let Killian have his way more often than she ever did before. However, that was not the case since the pregnancy and Chronos. Nervous and hormonal Emma didn't mix for his behalf. That was usually fine with him, but in moments like this he just wished she would listen.

Before Killian could decide whether or not to try and talk to her, there was the sound of the door opening loudly, the bell above the door banging against it.

"Emma!" David exclaimed

Emma put down her hot chocolate and looked up just as Killian did.

"David." Emma said in a surprised tone.

"Emma," David sighed in relief as he made it to their booth, "I stopped by your apartment and no one was home. I got worried."

"Shit, you didn't call Mary Margaret, did you?" she asked urgently.

"No, I thought I'd check here first." he shook his head, catching his breath.

"Getting a bit old for running, mate?" Killian joked. David rolled his eyes at him.

Killian admired Emma's father, and though he respected him, it didn't stop Killian from making the occasional joke at the man's expense. David, though he rolled his eyes or grunted, didn't seem to mind them much. In fact, Killian had caught him trying not to smile many times over the months at Killian's jesting. He noticed though David worried for his daughter in the beginning, now he didn't seem reluctant anymore to leave her in Killian's case. David only wanted Emma to be happy and he noticed she was when she was with Killian. It was more then obvious that Charming was the prime example of a husband and a father. Killian wouldn't tell him, but he aspired to give Emma everything that her father gave her mother. How the prince became Killian's inspiration was still beyond him, but it was nonetheless true. Perhaps one day he would tell him.

"…God, thank goodness you didn't call her. Mary Margaret would have freaked." Emma exhaled, tilting her head slightly.

David stood up straighter, "How come you two are out? I thought Emma was practicing the spell at home. _Safe _in the apartment." He widened his eyes pointedly at Killian.

Killian's opened his mouth to defend himself before Emma saved him.

"I insisted that I needed to get some air, dad, calm down." she let out a breathy chuckle.

"…Oooh, sorry to interrupt," Ruby said quietly as she walked around David and laid their burgers on the table..

"Missed Granny's cooking?" David smiled, looking down at their order as Ruby left.

"A bit." Emma admitted, returning the smile before sliding her burger plate closer to her and taking a bite from a french fry.

David laughed and nodded.

"Well, I should go tell Snow where you two…"

His voice trailed off when urgent whispers and gasps arose from around the diner and the sounds of people getting up from their chairs. As he turned around, Killian and Emma both craned their necks around David to see the cause of the sudden disquiet in the room.

_I knew something would bloody go wrong._

"What is that?" Granny exclaimed, staring at the middle of the diner.

At that moment, Killian noticed the strange golden glow flickering from above the ground and becoming brighter with every pulse. He quickly got up at the same time as Emma and moved to her side.

Killian had been on full alert in case something were to happen while he and Emma were outside of the apartment, but now his body was finely tuned to every sound and vision that passed his mind. He pulsed with adrenaline and shook with the feeling something was horribly wrong. Killian's eyes kept flickering towards Emma and she seemed just as alert. No doubt that all the unexpected dangers Emma had encountered over the years made his love always the ready warrior, regardless of her current delicate condition. He was proud of her. She could always take care of herself but that didn't mean she had to each time. He was here now and Killian would not let anything happen to her or their child.

Her father was possibly thinking the same thing. David had a hand on his gun in his side belt as he approached the glow.

"David." Emma whispered, pulling her father closer and preventing him from getting any nearer to the strange golden light.

"That looks familiar."

Killian suddenly realized what she meant. It did look familiar, like the magic that threatened to kill him only a few days ago.

"It's-"

"Chronos." Killian interrupted, getting further in front of Emma as the golden light took form of a man.

_Dammit, what would he be doing here?_

"Everyone out!" Granny yelled as panicked customers started trying to rush out the door or to their rooms.

"The door is locked!" someone yelled, as the crowd around the door got larger.

Killian turned to see if people were able to escape through the entrance to the hotel rooms, but evidently it was hopeless. Those who tried to leave through there were left banging desperately at an invisible force field preventing them from leaving.

"I need you all here." Chronos drawled, appearing in full form, the golden glow he once was disappearing into his palms.

Killian's heart raced with adrenaline and he resisted every urge to grab Emma and run.

"Chronos, let them leave!" Emma demanded, pushing herself in front of Killian and David.

"Emma Swan, I wanted you to see this." Chronos smiled towards her, taking a few steps in her direction.

"Get away from my daughter, Chrono!" David yelled.

Killian turned to Emma.

"Love, you _need_ to get out of here," he said urgently.

"Like hell." Emma muttered and walked towards her father.

_Stubborn as always._

"Dad, I got this." she assured him, putting an arm in front of him and glaring up at Chronos.

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><p><strong>Next part coming soon! Review for fast updating? <strong>


	10. Chapter 10

**I said it was going to be a faster update this time, right?**

**By the way... I'm _so_ sorry. _*runs and hides*_**

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><p><strong>Emma <strong>

Emma knew she had she two of her favorite boys watching her back, but that started to make her more nervous then comforted. If they got hurt just because she wanted to get out of her apartment earlier today, Emma wouldn't be able to live with that.

"I see everyone is enlightened to my real name," Chronos remarked, "_Studying_ me will lead you nowhere, Emma."

"Chronos, _Father Time_, just let everyone here leave and we can talk."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Chronos shook his head, "I am not here for you or your child today. I am famished, but unfortunately your baby is not ready so a little _snacking_ will have to suffice before the true source of my sustenance is ready."

"You can't get to my baby because he's inside me and _protected_, just like how he's protecting _me _right now. You can't harm _either _us and if you try to hurt anyone else here I will blast you into ashes." Emma growled.

"You are right. I cannot harm you, Emma. And yet you cannot stop me from gathering the little strength I can find."

"How? And what the hell did you mean before when you said you wanted me to 'see this' I swear..." Emma's skill started to prickle with magic and the warmth of it traveled from inside of her and then to her arms and finger tips.

"I wanted you to see that you cannot stop me." Chronos said sympathetically, as he slowly spread his arms beside him.

Emma flinched at his movement and raised a hand in front of her.

"What are you doing?" Emma demanded, willing her magic to find its way to her outstretched fingers.

Chronos smiled darkly, sending a wave of fear down Emma's spine, and his body faded into golden light. This time he wasn't a small orb of glowing magic, he retained his normal shape but Emma could see nothing but blinding gold light surrounding him. The air in the diner started to move rapidly, like indoor wind that picked up everything from the tables and spun them around in the air. The people in the diner started to scream and crouch down to avoid the flying objects.

Emma froze, unsure of what to do and Killian had rushed directly at her side, putting his hand on her shoulder and shielding her from the debris with his back. Emma automatically stepped into his arms as he drew her closer and pulled them lower to the ground. David crouched lower with them, looking around and his head suddenly jerked to look at the diner's entrance. At that moment, Emma realized that there was a loud banging coming from there.

On the other side of the door, Regina was evidently trying to unlock it and Snow was calling to them, but Emma couldn't hear her with the noise of screaming, crashing objects and wind. Emma winced her eyes as the air blew harshly against her eyelashes but she could make out her mother and Regina backing away from the door. Not a moment later, there was a blast that turned the wooden entrance to ash and both Snow and Regina rushed inside. Now they weren't safe either and this was her fault. Regina yelled over the noise, calling for everyone to escape and ushering them out the place where the door once stood. Emma watched over Killian's shoulder in horror as her mother risked her life running towards them.

She never reached them. There was a bone-chilling and deafening scream that brought everyone to their knees, including Snow who fell to the ground with her hands clutching at her ears. Emma and Killian let go of each other to do the same. The screaming seemed to echo in every corner of Emma's mind, making her head pulse in agony and her eyes squeeze shut for a moment.

_The banshee._

The screaming paused for a moment, enough for Emma to get herself back together and for her to look around at the chaos of wind, screams and the golden figure of Chronos with his arms outstretched beside him.

"Killian!" David yelled.

Killian's raised his head and turned it in the direction of David, still clutching Emma closely.

"Protect her." David gestured to Emma and ran towards Snow, who was kneeling almost in the middle of the diner, very close to where Chronos still stood.

The banshees screams began again, but this time Emma did not cower though she trembled at the sound and struggled to stand up. The moment she did she saw everything. There were two people lying on the ground. Around them, their loved ones shook the bodies desperately, begging them to wake up. Aurora's baby was wailing in her arms as both her and Phillip rushed to hide behind the diner's counter where Ruby was beckoning those who were too far away from the exit to safety. Emma's parents were helping each other up. A woman who was near them, and who Emma didn't know, began visibly shaking with her head thrown back as she stared at the ceiling with eyes of horror. Emma noticed something seemed to be sucked out of her. The woman's body blurred as it was being absorbed by Chrono's golden light and a moment later her body fell limp to the ground.

"Emma, what are you doing?" Killian shouted, grabbing her arm before she could move any further.

"What I _can_," Emma muttered, shaking her arm to release it from Killian's grip as she tried to run. "Killian, let me go!"

He reluctantly let go but his eyes were wide with fright and desperation as he stared pleadingly at Emma.

"_Trust_ me," Emma said. Killian clenched his teeth but she knew very well that he wouldn't stop her from doing what she needed to do. Emma ran as fast as she could to the other side of the diner, dodging the objects still spinning in the air by Chrono's magic. She had to find where the banshee was in the room. She could hear it's screams, but couldn't _see_ it.

_It must have the ability to hide itself from others. Of course, like it had hid itself before when only Killian saw it._

Emma's instincts told raise her hand in front of her and move it to the side in a deft motion that sent a wave of her light magic around the diner. And finally, she _saw_ it. The banshee was a hideous creature, dark and shadowy with eyes red as blood and a robe that moved around the it in a smoothness like fog. It floated near the corner of the diner, a scream coming from it's mouth that looked more like a large dark cavern on the front of its face.

Emma's blood pulsed widely in her veins with adrenaline as she lifted the golden pocket watch from her jacket with shaky hands. Behind her head was a shattering sound that made her jump. When she turned around she was surprised to see Killian close behind her,cutting down a glass pitcher that was spinning towards her. The moment his hook made contact with it, the shattered pitcher fell to the ground in it's pieces.

"I got your back" he said, "You can do this, Swan."

Emma turned back around with a deep inhale,

"L-licet semper tempus finitum," she closed her eyes tightly as she tried to recall the exact spell,"…Ut animus sit…q-quamvis ," She opened her eyes to find the banshee was directly in front of her, terrifying with its red eyes burning into her own and it's scream echoing in every corner of her mind. It's mouth was open so wide Emma felt like it intended to swallow her whole.

"S-semper in infinitum, in pras… _praesaepibus_!" Emma opened the pocket watch and watched as the banshee was funneled into it. The watch burned in her hand but she kept a tight grip. Once the whole creature was inside it, Emma shut the watch loudly. Killian walked beside her and took the watch from her shaking hands with his hook.

Suddenly, the objects flying in the room clattered to the ground in resounding bangs and shatters. Chrono's magic stopped and he turned his glowing self in Emma's direction, his expression a mixture of fear and surprise when he realized what she had done and now planned to do.

"You will _not_ stop what is to come," Chronos remarked, his voice an eerie echo.

"Watch me." Emma said, putting one arm around her baby bump protectively.

She did it. She had the banshee's essence in her possession and thus a way to protect her baby's soul from Chronos. The god knew that; it was evident by the way he looked at her with a calmness masking his evident fury that she could just barely make out in his eyes. As Henry would say: heroes _always_ win. Emma watched in triumph as Chronos faded into golden light and disappeared like fog in the wind, leaving a moment of silence in his wake.

"You did it, love." Killian murmured. She turned towards him and gave him a weary smile. His hair was incredibly windswept, as was hers. They looked like a mess but at least they were all okay.

And then she realized she spoke too soon.

Emma's stomach lurched when she started to hear the cries all around her. Her smile faded quickly as she took in the full disaster of the diner. In her victory, she had almost disregarded what else had happened and it made her sick to her stomach. There had to be around six or more people sprawled lifelessly on the ground, among the debris, and some people who were hit by the flying objects were tending to their injuries.

Emma's breath caught in her throat when she finally saw her mother holding a limp David in her arms, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her heart began pounding roughly against her chest.

"Charming," Snow cried, her voice shaking, _"Charming!"_

_No._

"David," Emma breathed, rushing towards her them. Killian followed closely behind her.

"Dad!" she yelled, leaning down with her mother and quickly putting a hand on David's neck.

_Nothing._

Emma's breathes came in and out frantically as she took her father's hand and put a finger on his wrist.

_Nothing._

And just like that, her fragile world fell apart. Emma couldn't _breathe_. She could hear her frantic heartbeat in her ear as she pulled her shivering hand away from her father. Part of her refused to believe this was happening. They were _winning,_ how could this happen? This couldn't be happening.

Snow hadn't reacted to Emma at all. Emma's mother stood staring down at her lifeless husband, tears staining her cheeks and her face... frozen in a state of complete shock.

"What happened…" Emma inhaled.

"What happened?!" she repeated in a scream as she looked around her for an answer. Anything.

"Their souls…" Regina spoke.

Emma jerked her head up to look at Regina. The mayor's eyes were wet with tears.

"Chronos took their souls for strength. He took his soul."

_No._

Emma stood up quickly. Too quickly. The weight of her pregnant belly had made her clumsy and she almost fell back if it weren't Killian who gently balanced her with his only hand. She saw a glimmer of his tearful eyes and despair.

"We can get them back." Emma stuttered, nodding quickly.

"I don't kn-"

"We can get them back." she insisted, her voice rose in a threatening tone. Regina didn't respond.

"Ruby!" Emma called. The brunette waitressed rushed to her side, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Ruby, help everyone here. Get them home. Send the victims to the hospital."

Ruby nodded wordlessly. There were sounds of sirens somewhere in the distance meaning someone had fortunately had the good grace to call for help already. Would there even be room in the ambulance for all the lifeless bodies in the diner? _My father._ Her father was dead.

Emma felt lightheaded, like she must have been walking in a terrible dream. The only thing that felt real was the churning inside her that told her she could throw up any moment. Maybe she would _wake up._ Maybe she would find herself in bed at her apartment with Killian soothing her after this nightmare. Her father would call to check up on them in a minute, and Emma would ask him to come immediately. She would wrap her arms around David and see his smile and the way his eye lit up when she showed him a daughter's affection.

But this wasn't a dream. It wasn't a nightmare. Emma would never wake up and she would _never_ see her father smile lovingly at her again. The father she'd always wanted, _all_ her life. She had found him and she had lost him. And Mary Margaret- _Mary Margaret_. Her mother lost the love of her life, her soul mate, _her true love_. She lost the man she shared half of her heart with. David was a piece of Mary Margaret and she would never be whole again. Snow White lost her Prince Charming. This wasn't the way a fairytale was suppose to end. This wasn't right.

"Regina," Emma looked towards the mayor, "H-help my mom."

Emma didn't wait for a response as she rushed out of the diner but she heard the sound of heavy leather boots following her.

As she made it outside, the ambulance had just arrived and men and women in white shirts poured out of the back with supplies and gurneys. They rushed past her and into the ruined diner, giving each other instructions. Their voices were muffled to Emma, who felt like the world was spinning off its axis around her. She swallowed the bile that had made its way up her throat

"Emma," she started to hear a soft and worried voice, "Emma," it repeated.

"I need to… I need to bring the watch…" she started to blubber, looking around her as if she was going to find the answer to her problems in the patio of the diner.

In the back of her mind, She felt like she was going mad. Emma couldn't think of her father's body in that ruined diner, or of her mother's broken heart. She couldn't. Her mind raced to find something else to think about, something else to _do_ but her body fought with her mind because she needed rest. The adrenaline was fading and she was exhausted. Emma leaned her hand on the nearby fence as her overwhelmed emotional and physical state was taking the best of her.

"No, not now, love." Killian's voice was low and trembled ever so slightly.

"I need to," Emma insisted, shaking her head.

That was when she felt Killian's hand on her shoulder. His touch, however small, was familiar and comforting. She felt it like electricity passing from her clothes, to her skin, making her hyper aware of his presence. At the same time, it passed onto her a calm and reassuring warmth that made Emma feel at home. He was there, and her whole body and soul recognized the safety of his company.

Emma spun around to face him and collapsed into his arms, breaking down completely. Killian embraced her tightly, burying his face in her hair as she buried hers against his shoulder. Emma's breaths came in and out like gasps, her lungs aching with the lack of oxygen she consumed between the sobs. Her body was rising and falling against Killian and tears drenched his coat, but he held her firmly and soothingly through each one.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Fun facts that you should probably know:<strong>

**- I love Charming more than life.**

**- But I also love angst.**

**- I'm very sorry.**

**- This story does have a happy ending.**

**- I'm not saying he doesn't comes back.**

**- But I'm also not saying he does.**

**- This was sorta necessary but not enough to be a big plot device.**

**- I'm just evil.**

(Also, the _Essence Spell_ was translated on Google with Latin using the inscription in english that I made up on the back of the pocket watch 2 chaps ago. So thanks Google. Creds to you... Even though it doesn't sound completely right since I know a bit of latin.)

**. . .**

_**R-e-v-i-e-w?**_


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